From 1916 to 1917, Leps studied drawing at the Tallinn Industrial Art School and he also worked as a junior draftsman at the Russian-Baltic Shipyard [et].
In the second half of the 1930s, Leps lived in Pärnu,[1][2] where he opened his studio, gave lectures at the folk high school, and organized excursions to art exhibitions in Tallinn.
[2] In 1949, he emigrated with his wife to the United States, where he first worked as an art teacher and portrait painter, later as an advertising artist in Hartford, Connecticut, and then in Chicago until his death.
[9] Due to his outstanding technical knowledge and skills, he was promoted to work at the Chicago headquarters of the same company, where he remained until 1965, when a serious illness forced him to quit his job.
With the help of Minia Virve Leps and family friend Mai Treude, and with the support of the National Archives of Estonia, it turned out to be possible to fulfill the artist's wish.