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Linda's Story
The Beginning:
“You can’t make a living doing that!”, my father said when I told him after college that I wanted to be a photographer. At that point, I figured he must know what he was talking about, so I switched directions and practiced law for many years. However, I never stopped thinking and reading about art, color theory and photography. Every. Single Day.
And then:
Between working and raising my family, I squeezed in watercolor classes, which brought me a lot of joy and taught me so much. And that became my outlet. Of course, I continued to take photos throughout my journey. My photos informed my painting, and my paintings began to inform my photography. I became fascinated by color, the inter-connectivity of nature, and extracting the nature of a subject and portraying it in a new perspective that still reflects its innate essence.
While I was juggling work and family, I became (and still am) a member of the Southern Vermont Art Center (SVAC) in Manchester, Vermont and the Perez Art Museum Miami. I also serve on the Board of Directors of Locust Projects, a wonderful organization in Miami that supports emerging artists. I am a Signature Member of the Miami Watercolor Society (MWS) and a member of Funding Arts Network, a Miami organization that provides grants to local art organizations.
Over the years, I have had pieces exhibited and sold at Locust Projects, MWS and SVAC. I work from Miami, Florida and Manchester, Vermont.
Next:
One day, I began to abstract photos of various things — my own collages, nature, every day objects. A friend said, “I see these as fabrics.” I replied, “Me too!” Meeting the moment, I began to have my images printed as silk scarves. (You can see them at: lindaflorencelimited.com). The beautiful colors and seeing people wearing them was thrilling for me. It felt like a part of me was sending my own happiness out into the world. For several years, I created a scarf for CREWNetwork's national convention which sold them to benefit their foundation and help young women in their real estate careers.
And, then, I found alcohol inks and resin. At a time when I most needed it, here was something that presented a real challenge. Although not easy to control, the inks and resin resulted in amazing color and taught me about the "joy of process" which cannot be overstated.
Surprise!
An artist friend happened to mention that she was accepted to a juried art residency in France and urged me to apply. I was beyond delighted when they accepted me and also awarded me a grant to attend! We went together to the Chateau Orquevaux artist residency, and that sealed the deal for me. I had an amazing opportunity to freely experiment with process in the most beautiful and inspiring environment.
The Chateau "O" experience is an artist's dream come true. The camaraderie and support of the other artists at Chateau Orquevaux opened new doors for me to paint with acrylics and exciting collage techniques. I was accepted again for 2020 with a grant, but the pandemic had other ideas.
And now:
I love the process, and I love the journey. We each have our own road, reason for traveling, and our unique destination. I look forward to continuing on my path, with some inevitable diversions and detours en route. I hope to share my vision of beauty, joy, concepts, color and light with you all along the way.
Please come along on this adventure with me!