Lesa Steele is a contemporary abstract expressionist painter whose work captures the dialogue between energy, emotion, and movement. Originally from Southern California, Lesa was deeply influenced by the coastal light, color, and artistic vibrancy that surrounded her upbringing near Laguna Beach. Now living and working in New Jersey, she draws from the rhythm of changing seasons — letting each shift in atmosphere, temperature, and emotion shape her palette and voice.
A lifelong artist, Lesa began painting at just three years old when her mother found her outside painting their home pink — a foreshadowing of her creative path and love of color. She went on to study at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), where she learned from acclaimed artists including Slater Barron and developed her distinctive approach to abstraction.
Her work has been described as alive with movement and light — where intuition, emotion, and nature merge on the canvas. Lesa’s art flows between intensity and calm, embracing both the soft harmonies of reflection and the unrestrained energy of bold expression. Her recent collections have resonated with younger audiences who see in her vibrant brushwork a graffiti-like vitality — a fearless, modern edge that adds to her already established sophistication.
Over her decades-long career, Lesa has sold hundreds of original paintings to collectors across the United States and abroad. Her work remains in private collections throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Bernardino Counties, and continues to attract new admirers drawn to her dynamic range and authenticity.
For Lesa, painting is both a meditation and a release — an ever-changing exploration of light, movement, and mood that speaks to the soul’s quieter truths and bolder impulses alike.