My purpose as an artist is to inspire others to create.  It is delightful to me when a person views my works - whether my deisgns, literary or fine art -  and speaks aloud my intention for that specific work.  It is more delightful when the person gets inspired and either creates off of what I had put there or starts their very own create.

I believe that LIFE IS A CANVAS.  That we can create the most magnificient dreams...and accomplish the dreams that we dream.

As is the same with the majority of artists, I am multi-talented.  The muse hits me and the creations take the form of: fine art, illustrations, designs, graphic designs, photography, articles, prose, poetry, short stories, gardening, sculptures and designing websites.

ILIA has been my pen name since I was 15 years old and I sign my literary works, fine art, ilustrations and other creative works as such. 

I grew up in a family of artists, poets, writers, singers and musicians.  My Mom was my first mentor - her ideas applied to life and to creativity were very inventive.  I especially enjoyed one science project that she helped me with - we created a paper mache volcano that actually exploded.  My Mom is very much an artist herself and she encouraged creative endeavors.   Between her and my Grandfather - Hetem Sali - I learned to garden starting at the age of 3 years old.  Gardening is actually the fine art of nuturing life and making it blossom.

I've been writing since I was fifteen years old when one day I scribbled out my first prose.  I soon found out that I had two uncles and my Aunt Marie that were writers/poets and I was 'taken under wing'.  My first step as a writer was to decide on a Pen Name and that is where ILIA came from.  I had three very special writing mentors during my teenage life.

At the age of nineteen, I met two hippies that introduced me to a natural life style, vegetarianism and herbs.  It's been over 30 years since then,still learning and applying the information to life.  Being a person that loves baking and sweets, I found methods to cook, bake and eat the most incredible food - without sugar, white flour, perservatives, chemicals, and so on.  By improving my diet, I also improved my health.   Two more mentors that contributed to a life of living art.

Later in life, at the age of 30, my dear, late friend and mentor Ralph E. Grimes, encouraged me to pick up the paint brush to see what I could do as he saw the potential in my "doodles" and drawings. I did so and have been painting since!  Ralph, who Mastered in The Arts at Columbia University, mentored me for 14 years giving me wonderful insights into culture, renaissance, The Arts and more.

A very special mention needs to be made of  L. Ron Hubbard - his works have helped me not only to get through the small to large situations in life, but also he is the very first person to actually write an understandable and workable definition of what ART truly is, plus he wrote the formula for aesthetics that I apply to my creations.  I use what I learned in the ART book to acheive the emotions, flows and communication that I intend to have occur.  I plan out my art with specific results in mind and attain what I was aiming for - which is always a delight to me when a person truly gets my art, without having to explain it.

I must mention that my mentors as a writer and artist used encouragements and pointed out the things that I did that were correct. This is just the opposite of the modern method of teaching by invalidation and criticism intended to "get rid of" the artists that cannot "take it".  I sincerely believe in the school of  "validating the rightness" as the results are phenomenal - not only from my experience as student but also my experience as mentor.

I have been helping creative and talented people worldwide since 1998 with inspiration, tips, how-to’s instructions and services that enable an artist to not only find the muse but also make a living.  I've mentored uncounted artists over the years and have received the most incredible success stories - making both parties happy.

I have made public appearances including 3 guest appearances on the Hollywood Television Show “Journey to the Cosmos”.   My art has been displayed at various art shows in Los Angeles and in the Valley of the Sun - Phoenix, Arizona.

My poetry, along with other poets, has been published in the book “Bamboo Souls – Poetic Visions for a Better World”.   I have four upcoming books that will hit the shelves in 2008: Acheive Your Dream Book, A Christmas Fairy Tale, Ti Ana & the Giant and The Bouncing Boy.  The last two being allaegories presented in such an interesting and entertaining fashion that readers young and old do not want to put it down.

My present project is learning how to create living art scupltures with mud clay.  This form of art is from ancient civilizations and has been shown to endure over the test of time.  The sculptures can be created inside the home, on the outside walls of the home and as single standing scupltures such as garden walls.  

I have three office assistants that leave their paw prints around the studio and at times contribute their two cents worth to my creations: Mr. Max A. Million,  Opie Taylor and Shielynn.   Max is the better typer and contibutes his a-mew-sing stories.

Enjoy 8-)

ILIA

a.k.a. Leigh Ann Lemire