About

Melissa Leslie

Artist Statement

Where Heritage Meets Heart: A Journey Through Art, Story, Sustenance & Soil

The Confluence of Creation

My work exists at the sacred intersection where cultural memory meets contemporary expression, where the wisdom of my Filipino ancestors flows through modern American motherhood, creating something entirely new yet deeply rooted. As a first-generation Filipino-American artist, children's book author, recipe developer, and permaculture gardener, I have discovered that all forms of creation—whether painted on canvas, written on page, prepared in kitchen, or cultivated in earth—are expressions of the same fundamental truth: we are called to nourish what we love.

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The Canvas of Identity

My artistic journey began with two sticks of charcoal, a sheet of newsprint paper in my formative years right next to my grandmother’s garden and professionally twenty-five years ago in the realm of fine art, where I developed master-level techniques that would later catch the attention of cultural icons like Chester Bennington of Linkin Park and Brian Welch of Korn. Those early collaborations taught me that art transcends decoration—it becomes a bridge between souls, a language that speaks what words cannot express. Today, my paintings command investment-grade valuations, but their true worth lies in their ability to transform how families see themselves.

My canvases tell stories of cultural confluence, where gold leaf meets oil paint to honor the kapamilya spirit that binds Filipino families across generations. Each portrait I create is an act of spiritual archaeology, unearthing the beauty in mixed heritage and presenting it as a source of strength rather than confusion. Through museum-quality techniques passed down through centuries of artistic tradition, I capture not just likeness but legacy—not just faces but the stories they carry and not just mediums but metaphorical energy that transcend tangible materials.

The spiritual dimension of my artistic practice draws deeply from Filipino cultural values: utang na loob (debt of gratitude), pakikipagkapwa(shared identity), and bayanihan (community spirit). These concepts infuse every brushstroke, transforming individual portraits into generational narratives that honor both the journey undertaken and the dreams fulfilled.

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The Written Garden of Character

My five published children's books emerged from a profound realization: the same children struggling with cultural identity were also disconnected from the natural world that could teach them profound lessons about growth, resilience, and belonging. Using gardening and nature as metaphorical frameworks, I craft stories that plant seeds of character in young minds.

Each book functions as a gentle guide through life's essential lessons. Just as a seed must push through darkness to reach light, my characters—often multicultural children like my own—discover that their perceived differences are actually their greatest strengths. The garden becomes a teacher, showing young readers that diversity creates the richest soil, that patience yields the sweetest fruit, and that deep roots enable the tallest growth.

These narratives weave Filipino cultural wisdom with universal truths about perseverance, kindness, and self-acceptance. A child learning to tend a garden learns to tend their own heart. A story about choosing which seeds to plant becomes a metaphor for choosing which thoughts to nurture. Through nature's rhythms, children discover their own capacity for growth, transformation, and beauty.

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The Alchemy of Nourishment

My recipe development practice flows from an understanding that food is our most intimate cultural expression. As a Filipino-American woman who has navigated pregnancy, homebirth and breastfeeding, I have created nutrient-dense recipes that nourish both body, mind and spiritual connection through stewardship.

My culinary philosophy centers on the concept of pagkaing-buhay—food that gives life. Drawing from traditional Filipino ingredients known for their healing properties—turmeric, ginger, coconut, leafy greens, fermented foods—I develop recipes specifically designed to support the profound physical and emotional journey of motherhood. Each recipe becomes a love letter to the next generation, a way of passing down cultural knowledge through taste and nourishment.

These aren't simply meals but rituals of care, ways of honoring the sacred work of creating and sustaining life. My recipes celebrate the abundance of Filipino flavors and my years connoisseuring five star Michellin restaurants and alleyway mom and pops kitchen restaurants while addressing the specific nutritional needs of pregnancy and lactation, creating a bridge between ancestral wisdom and contemporary wellness.

The Living Cathedral of Soil

My permaculture practice represents the fullest expression of my philosophy: that true beauty emerges when we work in harmony with natural systems rather than against them. My gardens are designed as living sanctuaries that serve multiple purposes—providing nutrition for the table, beauty for the soul, and education for the children who play within them.

Each garden I design follows permaculture principles that promote diversity, community and sustainability. Like the traditional bayanihan system where entire communities work together to move houses, my gardens create ecosystems where every element supports the others. Fruit trees provide canopy for herbs, nitrogen-fixing plants nourish heavy feeders, and pollinator plants ensure abundant harvests.

But these are not merely functional spaces—they are designed as outdoor sanctuaries incorporating elements for contemplation, play, and gathering. Soaking tubs nestled among bamboo groves, fire pits surrounded by aromatic herbs with the plucking of a leaf turns into healing tea, children's play areas that encourage exploration and wonder. Each garden becomes a teacher, showing families how to live in relationship with the earth while creating spaces of profound beauty.

The Integration of Practice

What unifies all aspects of my work—the paintings that capture heritage, the books that plant wisdom, the recipes that nourish bodies, and the gardens that feed souls—is a commitment to wholeness. I believe that families, particularly multicultural families, thrive when all aspects of their identity are honored and integrated.

My clients don't just receive artwork; they embark on journeys of cultural recovery and celebration. They don't just read my books; they discover frameworks for raising children who are rooted in identity and connected to the natural world. They don't just follow my recipes; they establish traditions that will nourish generations. They don't just plant my garden designs; they create living classrooms where their children learn the profound lessons that only earth can teach.