Sweet Meadow Studio
From her childhood fascination with art to her pivot from a successful career in interior design, Leslie Cording's story is one of continuous exploration and inspiration. Delving into her use of vintage botanical prints and European papers, her artistry reflects not only her craftsmanship but also her emotional connection to each piece. As she shares her experiences navigating the challenges of self-taught artistry and building a business – Sweet Meadow Studio – Leslie's insights offer valuable advice for those considering a late-stage career pivot. With upcoming projects and a passion for travel, Leslie's artistic horizon is one of unwavering dedication to her craft and the pursuit of beauty in every detail.
“Ever since I was a child, art has been my world. I have to create every single day. I feel a peacefulness whenever I am using my mind and my hands.”
If a day goes by without making something, a restlessness overcomes me and I long for quiet, alone time in my studio.
A critical aspect of my journey is the exploration of different mediums. Exposure to different artistic processes and experimentation has helped me find my way to where I am now. I have always been drawn to architecture, classic design, and fabrics. I knew there had to be something that combined my interests and I found that through interior design. I worked at a firm in NYC for a few years where I honed my drafting skills, designed beautiful spaces, and was exposed to the best design the world offered.
While my artistic endeavors changed as I raised my children, I always kept a corner in my house filled with art supplies and treasures. Embroidery, needlepoint, and watercolors have and will always be a part of my every day. The rhythmic feeling of the needle and threads allows me to feel a sense of calm. After taking classes with artist and friend, Anna Corba, collage became a huge part of journey. The art of using discarded or damaged pieces and weaving them together into something new and beautiful; became representative of my life. Today, this passion is woven into my business through my selection of European papers and how I layer different patterns in each piece I create.
WHO INSPIRES YOUR WORK THE MOST AND HOW DO THOSE INSPIRATIONS MANIFEST IN YOUR CREATIONS?
My grandfather built the most incredible model ships completely by hand. I would sit at his table and watch the patience required to produce these works of art. While he worked, I played with wood, sandpaper and paint alongside him. I think this early memory inspired my love of model making as an interior designer.
“My pieces now reflect the patience and meticulous nature that I learned at such a young age alongside my grandfather and which I practiced in my career as an interior designer.”
My years of training in drafting, proportions and scale, and construction of objects from a simple piece of cardboard manifests in every piece I create now. My work is very precise and intricate. Much like a model ship, each piece takes time to accurately measure, cut, glue, and assemble.
“I also find much of my inspiration through traveling Europe. I could spend days in art museums and getting lost wandering the cobblestone streets.”
The history and age of the architecture speaks to me. I find a little house in ruins with a small pot of flowers as inspiring as a beautiful cathedral. The shapes, forms, and colors stimulate my imagination and influence the way I design.
WHAT DROVE YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN NEW ARTISTIC MEDIUMS, ESPECIALLY AFTER WORKING AS A DESIGNER AND RAISING A FAMILY?
Becoming a full–time artist was a winding road. There never seemed to be enough time in a day to create while raising my four children. Although I wouldn’t trade spending that time with my family, I definitely sacrificed my needs for them. I always harbored my dream of spending my days in my own studio making art.
While going through a divorce, I traveled to France and Italy. At the time, I was so confused and had lost my footing. This trip opened my eyes to the beauty of European architecture and reinvigorated my passion for art. Wandering the cobblestone streets, I happened upon a paper store where they were marbling paper and constructing accessories for the home. In this exact moment, I knew this was the direction I wanted to go in. I felt such a deep connection to this experience – it was truly life changing.
“After this trip, I decided I wanted to move to Italy, ride a Vespa, and work in the paper shop! While I never moved to Italy or learned to ride a Vespa, I never stopped dreaming of the beautiful papers I discovered.”
DID YOU ALWAYS ENVISION YOURSELF WORKING AS AN ARTIST, OR DID YOUR PATH TAKE UNEXPECTED TURNS TO LEAD YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
After my children left home, I bought a 100 year old house with two outbuildings on the property.
“When I renovated one of the buildings to become a studio, my dream became a reality. Suddenly, I was faced with having the space I had always dreamed of, but didn’t know what to do in it.”
I was overcome with the fear of having a piece of paper in front of me and not knowing what to do next. I painted a line of French inspired stationary and began to do craft shows. Quickly I realized that after I completed my designs, all of my time was dedicated to selling them and I was no longer creating every day. I had to find a new direction. While looking through a stack of magazines, a simple letterbox caught my attention and reminded me of my travels to Europe.
I began to look for classes that would teach me how to make these pieces online, in New York City, and in the bookstore. There were none to be found so I started making my own patterns and taught myself how to construct a simple box. I use my drafting and model making experiences to inform how to design and build all of my pieces. I still have some of my early pieces saved for posterity and to remind myself how far I have come. They were so poorly constructed and finished in the beginning, but I was so proud of them! I continue to learn every day how to fine tune my work and I love (almost!) every moment of it.
WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE AT THE OUTSET OF YOUR CAREER PIVOT, AND ARE THERE ANY THAT YOU STILL ENCOUNTER TODAY?
There are new challenges every day. I was naive to think that all I would have to do is create my work and snap a few photos of it.
“In reality, I learned how to build a website myself, develop a wholesale program, and design a catalogue, as well as skills like bookkeeping, photography, and running my social media.”
Doing all of these different aspects myself was, and continues to be, a huge learning curve. It has taken me a long time to learn everything on my own; however, I have realized that my brain works very methodically and I need to learn how every aspect of my business works. So, I’ve learned each process and skill along the way. While building my website, I thought deeply about who my audience is, the branding and colors that reflect my business, and the photography that captures what I create. This process empowered me and gave me the confidence to reach a larger scale audience.
YOU UTILIZE VINTAGE BOTANICAL PRINTS AND EUROPEAN PAPERS IN YOUR COLLAGES AND HOME ACCESSORIES. COULD YOU ELABORATE ON WHY YOU’RE DRAWN TO THESE MATERIALS AND HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE AESTHETIC AND MESSAGE OF YOUR WORK?
“I love combining delicate botanical prints with beautiful patterned papers. It is the surprise pairing of patterns that brings an edge of excitement to my work.”
A traditional look with a twist. I am always inspired by an appreciation and understanding of architecture; for example, how a simple detail in a column brings beauty to a facade of stone or the way a curve can soften a piece of furniture. The surprise elements and details create emotion.
It is also my memory of the Italian paper store that inspires my choices of papers and patterns. I think back to when I stood in the shop learning the process of paper making and surface design. This memory and my appreciation for fine craftsmanship is reflected in all of the papers that I use. Whenever I travel, my first stop is to an antique store to find new, unique papers and prints to incorporate into my work.
HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ARTISTIC PRACTICE CONTRIBUTING TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY, BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY?
I find that today’s world is becoming more isolating as technology grows. It is losing the humanity and creativity of the human mind and hand. Technology has changed our lives for the better in so many ways; yet, it is more important than ever that we don’t forget to nurture the creative part of ourselves. Supporting artists and protecting art education is incredibly important now. I see my artistic practice as a way to bring humanity and creativity back into people’s lives.
“I hope that my art brings a feeling of warmth, beauty, and personality into a client’s home. It cannot be mass produced and it is my own craftsmanship that makes my pieces unique.”
Locally, I have so many wonderful clients who are looking for pieces for their homes or to give as gifts. Often, they request pieces that add meaning to their lives and allow personal memories to be displayed. It is wonderful to have a personal connection with so many people who appreciate my work in my community. Through my wholesale program, I can connect with many shops across the country on a much larger scale. My relationships with these shop owners is a different type of connection than I have with my local clients, yet it is still so personal. We are mutually supporting each other’s businesses across the country with a common goal of supporting artisans.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE AND SHARE YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY?
I utilize social media to connect with people who support and follow my work. It gives my followers an understanding of my artistic process. In doing so, I have been given the opportunity to work in collaboration with a few other artists. We have been working together on projects that combine our talents resulting in unique pieces. The opportunities are endless and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Instagram is the driving force for so many connections. As a result, I have had the pleasure of working with so many individual clients and shops across the United States. I love the relationships I build with the individual clients who ask me to create special pieces that have meaning to them. Some of the most meaningful requests include a box to store mementos from a client’s deceased father, matching pieces for a nursery anxiously awaiting a new baby, a frame for a special piece of art, and a bespoke box to store inherited needlework tools from a client’s grandmother. Through showcasing my work and different ideas on Instagram, I believe it also stimulates creativity in my followers. They come to me inspired with their own ideas on personal items they would like me to make for them.
“Instagram can be a very powerful tool not just in sales, but also as a catalyst of creativity.”
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ASPECTS OF YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE?
To be honest, I haven’t found this balance yet. Sharing myself personally is difficult as I am a very private person. I will share snippets of my personal life, but I mainly keep my online presence about my art.
“I would like to start sharing more of my artistic process because I love seeing other artists in their studios and watching them work.”
It is an aspect that I will have to become more comfortable with. I have seen people online attempt to copy my work –which is extremely difficult to see as I’ve worked so hard to develop my skills, design each piece, and meticulously construct it – making me hesitant to share more about my process. However, I know these challenges come with having an online presence.
AS A SELF TAUGHT ARTIST, WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE ALONG THE WAY AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
There are many ups and downs when learning a skill on your own. Without a mentor to bounce ideas off of, I often just dive into new endeavors on my own. As a result, it has taken time for me to find my vision of how I want my work to represent me.
“Through introspection and reflection, I have found my voice as an artist. I want my work to be completely made by hand, making it personal and true to myself.”
There have been ideas that have needed many iterations that I now accept as part of the process. Artists are their own toughest critics and there is always that little voice telling you that you can do better. Sometimes, turning that voice off has been my toughest challenge.
I fought using an industrial paper cutter and small power saw for the longest time. I felt that my work would not be handmade if I used them. Cutting everything by hand became too physically taxing and so I finally gave in. I was surprised how they actually allow me to design and create more complex pieces. Previously, I had been working on some designs with curves and they just were not working. Curves are very difficult to cut by hand as the board is quite thick and needs so many passes of the knife. When I started using a saw, I was able to do scalloped edges and more intricate designs. By finally being open to using these tools, I have been able to enhance my work and open myself up to possibilities that weren’t there before.
HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE THE INTERSECTION OF CRAFTSMANSHIP, CREATIVITY, AND EMOTIONAL CONNECTION IN YOUR WORK, PARTICULARLY IN CONTRAST TO MASS PRODUCED ITEMS?
Last year, I saw a manufacturer from China producing my tree top stars. I was so furious and frustrated knowing there was nothing I could do about it. Mass produced items absolutely have their place and use in the world. Yet, a copied, mass produced item does not have the warmth, the quality, or the care given by the artist.
“When work is handmade, you can feel a sense of soul in it. A person has given a piece of themselves when creating it. The human mind and hand have a very strong connection emotionally.”
This connection is reflected in the work an artist produces, which in turn connects with the person who chooses to surround themselves in handmade artistry.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN MAKING A LATE STAGE CAREER PIVOT TO A MORE ARTISTIC CAREER?
I have certainly made a late stage career pivot! I started this business with no expectations. I just wanted to create and spend my days joyfully in my studio. Having had some recognition has truly surprised and delighted me. Calling myself an artist has been a huge step for me personally.
“My only advice would be to just start. It is never too late to do what you love. If I hadn’t gone through challenging times, I wouldn’t have appreciated where I am now – when I was lost, my art truly healed me.”
My children are my biggest supporters and I am finally living my dream.
This January, I made a vision board for 2024. It was a challenge to take more control of what I wanted in my life versus waiting for life to happen to me. It helped me clarify the balance I need in my business and my personal life. I realized how I want to hone in on certain aspects of my work and how I want to present it to the world. In June, I will be participating in my first show, the Fine Day Fair, in Westchester, New York. The vision board allowed me to make that commitment and I have been focused on completing work for it. Many people keep telling me to hire and train someone to work for me. However, I realized that I want to keep my business small and do everything myself. These have been some of the steps that contribute to staying true to myself, which I believe is the most important part of being an artist.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT FROM YOU?
Looking forward, I see many new directions for myself. I am always seeking new materials, patterns and inspiring design elements. I have a few ideas in the works and will be expanding my collection!
Of course, traveling will always be at the top of my list. Perhaps my next trip will be to Morocco, to experience the colors and patterns, or Southern Spain, to see the influence of Islamic design. There is a beautiful world out there and my creativity is sparked with every new experience I have. And I hope to add my own bit of joy and beauty to it!
