I’m an American artist living and working in Lisbon, where apparently all that sunshine and color has gone straight to my head. Fueled by 80s music, tacos, and an unreasonable affection for bold color, I create energetic work in watercolor, acrylic and mixed media, with plenty of movement and the occasional happy accident.
Hi! I'm Linda
The short version
Originally from: Boise, Idaho
Currently: Lisbon, Portugal
Education: BFA, Graphic Design
Mediums: Watercolor, acrylic + mixed media
Soundtrack: Heavy on the 70s and 80s
General philosophy: Life’s too short for beige
The slightly longer version
I spent more than 30 years in graphic design and marketing, where creativity came with briefs, deadlines, budgets and the frequent request to make the logo bigger.
I was making art all along, but it was art with a job to do. There were goals to meet, problems to solve and a purpose behind what I was creating.
When I stopped working as a graphic designer (because I’m pretty sure you never actually stop being one) I finally had time to make art just for me. I became my own client, which sounded great until I discovered I’m kind of a hardass.
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts, so color, composition and visual storytelling have been in my toolbox for a very long time. Painting gives me a different way to use them.
When I started making abstract paintings, that’s when things clicked. I stopped worrying about making something look like something and started playing—with color, marks and materials. I paint intuitively, making a mess, changing my mind, covering things up and starting again. It’s amazing what changed when I stopped taking it all quite so seriously.