Lee Weiss was born in Inglewood, California and attended California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. She studied with Nels Eric Obach, but for the most part she is self-taught. Prior to moving to Madison in 1962, she had a solo show at the California Palace of Legion of Honor. In Wisconsin she developed innovative monoprinting and color lifting methods that add unique textures, shapes and washed colors. She is also known to follow the more traditional watercolor approaches in some works.

Weiss' works are known for their interpretation of the spiritual qualities of nature and for her mastery of the watercolor medium through innovative painting techniques. Weiss has developed her work from small-scale depictions of large landscapes to monumental presentations of landscape details. Many of her scenes could take place at the beach, a neighborhood park, or in our own back yards. Weiss explains her growth: "If I can't find some mystery, something that moves me, then I have just done an illustration, not a painting. The paintings that really thrill me are those that leave a lot unsaid, but, there's a presence..."