Leslye Cole is an award-winning fine artist, author, illustrator and graphic designer.

Beginning her creative career as an advertising Art Director, she later transitioned into freelance illustration—ultimately spending over two decades represented by John Peake at Every Picture Tells a Story, an agency championing some of the finest illustration talent in the country, until his retirement.

Moving from Sydney to a 100-acre farm in the New England region of NSW in 2012 opened up countless stories to be told. Initially, she began telling them through her paintings, leading to three solo exhibitions, numerous group shows, and prestigious competition milestones—such as Belltrees Bridge being a finalist in The Sir John Sulman Prize 2012 at the AGNSW, and Willi and Jennifer as a finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Award 2019 at the S.H. Ervin Gallery.

Alongside her fine art, Leslye has a rich commercial publishing background. She co-authored and illustrated The Dog Whisperer (New Holland Publishers), helping package John Richardson's dog training expertise into a bestseller that sold over 100,000 copies, and has illustrated 10 non-fiction titles for major publishers including Simon & Schuster and Macdonald Young Books.

Living on the land brought a new world of unique, everyday scenarios—from a newborn calf getting lost for two days to nursing a fox-injured neighbour’s lamb back onto its feet. Because of her deep love for communicating with children, these countless farm happenings naturally sparked the characters and plots for children's stories. Driven by that passion, Leslye has recently completed her debut picture book and is currently seeking representation.