Me, myself and I
This is me – larger than life for the moment. This big head thing is very startling, but why not go bold for the sake of graphic consistency throughout this page? In case you are wondering, artistically I go by L.S. King. I like the anonymous qualities of initials (and I've lived with a life-long crush on T.S. Eliot). So, I answer to L.S., but for the sake of pleasantries, I am Leslie.
This thing called growing up – or rather, the places of that process
My current family situation
Though my childhood was spent in Southern Maryland, my mother, my brother and sister-in-law now live on the Maryland border, close to where I went to college in West Virginia. Who would have thought?
I have spent the past 12 years with artist and professor Ken Smith, whom I met in Maryland, moved to Tennessee to be with, and ended up sharing a home with upstairs/downstairs studios, and we work in the same building in Southwest Virginia.
Ken and I share our lives with the King Smith Kittens (they are forever kittens to me). Lily is a Siamese and Ella is a Chat Noir. We adopted the supposed sisters from an agency in Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon first glance our veterinarian called their mother a name I cannot say in polite conversation (since they are very different creatures), but recently she suggested they might not be sisters at all. Currently we live with that mystery.
Educating L.S. King
I am the daughter of a community college psychology professor (among other life pursuits), who encouraged me to skip my senior year of high school to go to the College of Southern Maryland.
I transferred to Shepherd University in 1987 where I received my BFA in Art with a concentration in photography.
In 2011, I obtained an MA in Transpersonal Studies from Atlantic University.
That leads us to the current Graduate degree I am pursuing
I am using the tuition waiver perk for Radford University employees to get an MFA in Studio Art with a concentration in photography/printmaking.
Why am I pursuing this degree?
To widen my horizons, become a better printmaker, and add educational cred to my gallery resume. And then there is the vague notion of teaching either in workshop settings or as a career choice. I am still trying to figure out the latter.
What the future may bring
My professional aspirations in five to 10 years are to complete my MFA, make a decent part of my living selling my prints, have gallery representation in the US, Canada, and the UK. Career-wise, I would like to be in a physical and mental space where my creativity is respected and financially appreciated.
I don't like the sound of it
Some important thing(s) in my life...
When I hear the phrase "Civil War?"
When I hear the words "civil war," I think about the early years of photography. I think of Alexander Gardner and his documentary work. I think of photographs of the dead after battles and I think of his image series of the Lincoln Assassination Conspirators.
Credits:
L.S. King, except for the postcards & A. Gardner image