LINDA JANE SMITH Artist: Biography and Photo of the artist.
Artist biography
Linda Jane Smith has always loved drawing and, as a child, she entered as many art competitions as she could. She eventually studied graphic design at Bournville College of Art, which gave her the discipline to work very precisely, and also the ability to settle down anywhere to paint. Her work has progressed considerably since then, enabling her to combine the two great loves of her life, cats and painting. There has always been a family cat in Linda`s life and these days her tortoiseshell cat, Jessie, often pops into the studio for a chat before going back to sleep on the bed. Linda has always been fascinated by fine detail; illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Nicola Bailey, who show exquisite detail in their work, are her favourites. To be able to look at a picture and keep finding objects- maybe a ladybird, or a leaf, or a glass bead, is what she loves. She is an avid collector of all kinds of old objects; hat pins, china and fabrics- all these are treasures to her and they often turn up in her paintings. A cat sitting on a faded Persian rug with do-eared "Beano" comic lying next to it will bring back memories of childhood for many. Humour is a big part of Linda`s work. She works with designer gouache, in a pointillist style, making a detail drawing first, then meticulously putting on dots of paint to slowly build up the colour so that it has form and texture. Her colours are usually deep and rich... faded carpets, velvet cushions and threadbare brocades are everywhere. Linda has since had several major exhibitions throughout the country. Her limited edition prints have become immensely popular on both sides of the Atlantic and extremely collectable. (Biography with acknowledgement to the Riverside Gallery.)
More detailed biography and photo of the artist:
