Linda Lindus

It was a military service family’s life. Her childhood that began in the woodlands of the Pacific Northwest moved through the rocky shores of upper New England to the congestion of Los Angeles. In her formative years, from coast and coast, country to city, the form and hues of nature and man’s intrusions changed. A transient adolescence provided not only an experience of changing terrain, but regional customs, habits and even speech patterns. Change became a constant like the seasons’ changes and the sun moving across the sky. Diversity both in nature and people built an emotional resilience.

Painting came early in life. “In Washington it rains a lot, so my mother was looking for ways to entertain me. It was with paints.” The first attempt was a paint-by-number that whetted her appetite. When she graduated to oil painting, the first subject was a neighbor’s dog. “Even at eight-years-old, I loved the feel of the paint sliding onto the canvas and the subtle changes in color,” she remembers.

In high school, art classes were her favorite, yet it wasn’t until her mother brought home a Modigliani print that she realized she wanted to be an artist. When she discussed her chosen career with her mother, she was roundly discouraged and directed towards engineering or architecture where she could “earn a living instead of starving.” Rejecting mother’s her alternatives, Lindus set out on her own entering the business world, taking art classes in night school, getting married and having children. After her second daughter was born, the new family moved to Arizona. It was love at first sight; giant ever-moving skies, red rocks, textures and rough edges all around. Lindus picked up her brushes again and began to paint in earnest. Taking additional college courses, workshops and private lessons she honed her skills bringing landscapes alive with emotion.

After winning her first “Best of Show” for “Sedona” and then a “People’s Choice” award for another desert work, she was recruited to teach at the junior college. That coupled with her small art shop and a collector who hung her work adjacent to an R.C. Gorman, she believed her artist path was set. She was hired to judge county fairs and juror exhibits. But as with many people, life took an abrupt turn. When she became a single parent responsible for her two daughters, it was back to the business world.

As a workaholic, and one that moved frequently, Lindus’ media career took her on another scenic route through the deserts of Utah and Arizona, to the Midwest farmlands and back to the west coast. From cub reporter to media executive, every minute became part of a deadline. “It was an exciting career that included presidents, entertaining governors and debating politicians. But the day-to-day responsibility of servicing communities and leading media’s consolidation efforts, became all consuming,” she recalls.

Lindus found her escape from the office confines to be equine activities. When the children were at home, Lindus and her two daughters rode and competed. After the girls struck out on their own, Lindus continued to compete in equine sports from jumping, to dressage, pleasure horses and reining. “Because I moved so frequently, the horses were my introduction to a social network outside of work. There is nothing more cathartic than cleaning a stall, or galloping a horse across country. The partnership with your horse reaches deep into your health psyche,” she adds. 

It was a riding accident that resulted in another sharp turn for her life’s path. Recovering from a broken back and in a body cast from armpit to hips, Lindus said she needed a new focus to break the pain cycle and strengthen her muscles. She picked up her paints once again and stood for hours creating.

Re-evaluating life, she says that she knew her heart was in the rough red rock, the desert textures and never-ending vibrant skies. “Soon, I hung up my suits, dumped the glamour of the corporate world, banished my heels and returned to the inspiration of the Arizona desert to paint,” she laughs. “That day was far more exciting than any thrill of corporate life.” 

Living in north Scottsdale, her studio is located in Cave Creek, Arizona. It’s a refreshing change from the dining rooms and bedrooms in which she painted during her transient life. 

Art movements that have impressed her work over the years include Expressionism, Impressionism and Representational Abstract. Artists who have shaped her work come from a broad cross section of genres such as Modigliani, Picasso, Monet, Georgia OʼKeefe, and Eric Mack, to name but a few. Her most recent works have been selected for inclusion in juried Arizona exhibits and have been shown at the Shemer Center for the Arts and Museum, Sedona Arts Center, the Gallery at el Pedregal, Small Works Invitational, Holland Fine Arts Center and various juried online exhibits. Lindus is a juried artist. Having won numerous awards through the years, especially for her skies in international competitions, Lindus paints with assertive positivity, shunning dark work, and focusing on bold light, which evokes uplifting emotions.

Today, she paints with brush and knife. The knife creates tactile reminders from her childhood and mimics the rough textures and boldness of her surroundings. The artist captures the ever-changing light as it moves across the surfaces. The big, open skies boast colors that fuel her imagination and are the focus of her work. “The skies speak to me. In my earlier days my work was more realistic. For a period, I swung nearly to the opposite side of the spectrum with representational abstracts,” Lindus explained. “As my technique developed, I found that a more contemporary work combining the textural land surface with bold, lively skies that are beyond what is real and fuel my imagination.”

She continues to express her perceptions of landscapes and the details each unveils, with each canvas evoking emotional qualities that awaken all to the magic that is uniquely revealed in paint.

Various art schools and individual instruction

Sonoran Art League, Sedone Arts Center, Shemer Art Center and Museum

Prices vary by size.

Linda Lindus

Website: www.lindalindus.com

Email:lllindus@gmail.com

Telephone: 310-560-1581