Irene Schlesinger, a contemporary artist was born in Hollywood, California and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area where she discovered her love for drawing at a young age.

Schlesinger pursued her formal education in art through courses at the California College of the Arts, San Francisco State University, and Stanford University. Post her education, she continued to explore art and made a career in teaching. She worked as an art teacher and a preschool teacher before she has given herself over to full-time art creation during retirement.

The core of Schlesinger's inspiration lies in faces, and she expresses this through her unique medium of needlework on canvas. Every piece of her art begins with freehand sketching faces, one of which eventually captures her artistic spirit and is translated into intricate embroidery. The seeds sown in childhood by her grandmother thus bloomed into a form that has become a distinguishing attribute of her artwork.

Schlesinger admits that her major influence is the legendary artist Picasso. This reflects in her work, with faces forming the central theme, much like in Picasso's cubism artworks. She commits herself to the local arts community and is a member of the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Northern California Women’s Caucus for the Arts and ArtSpan.org.

Schlesinger has had the honor of displaying her art at diverse venues. Recognition for her work includes, the prestigious award of 1st place at San Mateo County Fair Art Galleria twice, along with numerous honorable mentions.

Off the canvas, Schlesinger enjoys attending live music concerts, a hobby that adds further texture to her creative life. The dexterity with which she merges traditional needlework with mainstream art forms makes Schlesinger a unique figure in the field. Here is an artist, who while reminiscing the past, gracefully embarks on the contemporary path of creativity. Her artworks are a testament to a lifelong devotion to exploration and understanding of the world through faces.