Cover Artist - Lesley Weiss “Forgetting About Life for Awhile” at Nacoochee Lake Art Studio with Lesley Weiss by Tracy McCoy
away. Her grandma was teaching her to sew and Lesley loved learning and the time spent together. She remembers always enjoying art class in school and was drawn to creative projects. Lesley was also drawn to tennis and she was very good at it. Many years had passed since she sat beside her grandmother at the sewing machine. College, children and marriages. Her husband Doug Weiss was standing on stage with a guitar in his hands when Lesley first saw him. She agreed he was easy on the eyes but she was a young mother with a child to think about. After a few visits to the neighborhood restaurant where Doug played piano and guitar, the couple began to chit chat and that’s when that smile took on depth and she could see her future in his eyes. The greatest romance of her life was taking shape and that spark still surprises her today.
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ho knew I would like Lesley Weiss so much? Maybe it was our Michigan connection, she and I both born and raised there. Or maybe it was that we both love art. Whatever it was I thoroughly enjoyed spending a couple hours with her. I can’t wait to share what I learned about Lesley and her Nacoochee Lake Art. Going back to her home just north of Detroit near Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Lesley remembers her first creative endeavors including a walk to her grandmother’s house a couple blocks
14 GML - June 2021
Doug’s grandfather, Paul Weiss, started what would be the largest commercial rose growing facility in Michigan. The Weiss family’s business, Mount Clemens Rose Gardens, became known for their beautiful roses. After working in the family business for years, Doug found himself yearning for something different. He and Lesley had some friends living in Marietta, Georgia and the grass looked a little greener in the Peach State. They put their home on the market, Doug left the family business and they made the move south. They liked the southern hospitality, the generosity and kindness. Lake Lanier led the family to Flowery Branch where they made their new home. Lesley then traveled to VanDerMeer University on Hilton Head Island to attain her Tennis Instructor Certification. She began volunteer lessons for students at nearby Eagle Ranch, and at Lakeview Academy where her children attended school. Lesley inquired at Gainesville College about borrowing their courts for Lakeview’s use, which prompted the Continuing Education Department to invite her to teach a community tennis program. In addition, the academic division asked her to teach an accredited class for the P.E. Department. This turned out to be one of her greatest joys, sharing her skills with college students of Spring and Fall semesters for many years. “I like to think my class was the best part of their day. It was pure fun.” While at Gainesville College, Lesley took a class in Painting where she learned to make her own canvasses. Her interest in painting took hold, and she completed her Associate of Arts Degree.
