About ten years ago Ariel Schlesinger cured himself of a bout of Schizophrenia that had been with him for three years. He started to paint as a way of saying thank you to the Universe for this second chance and for the beauty that he sees all around.

"I had felt like an artist since I was very young, before I knew what an artist was. It just seemed natural to me to look at things artistically- to consciously observe the wonder of the world. When I was a teen I loved life drawing, but it was not until I freed myself from the constraints that the Schizophrenia was just a symptom of, that I decided to really learn the art of drawing. Drawing led to painting and here I am!"

Ariel sees his work as a combination of Challenge and Ode. He loves the challenging process of trying to capture what he sees, especially portraiture. "I think of Frank Auerbach obsessively painting his way to the truth of his subjects (though it is hard for me to be too obsessive with two children under four). All of the challenging technique is really about trying to paint worthy thank you notes, little love poems or odes to the majesty and the mystery of this amazing Life."

"I paint the things that I see that I think are just too beautiful for words: the silhouette of mountains against the sky, the face of my wife or the smiles of children. There is so much to be seen in the simple things that we see every day. I think we should all linger a little longer- and Enjoy."