Featured Artist Linda Blackerby

Painter Linda Blackerby presents a collection of vibrant and exciting abstracts that express her love of color. See more of her work on her website.

 

 

Born and raised in the Kansas City area in a close family, I was impressed by the paintings of my aunt and grandmother. They were both talented artists. While I was intrigued by what they created, I didn’t understand the potential of a creative life beyond what I had observed as an enjoyable hobby.

 

 

I discovered how much I loved to create in middle and high school. There I took every art class offered from drawing, painting and printing, to sculpture, ceramics and jewelry making. I never considered studying fine arts in college. Instead, I become a CPA.

 

 

I had a decades-long corporate career running businesses, culminating in a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer role. I use those skills daily to run my art business. It also gave me the chance to travel the world. My art practice is influenced by the fascinatingly vast differences in the landscape, architecture, food, smells, music, colors, and people across the globe.

 

 

I never stopped creating during my corporate years. While raising my two boys, I took college level ceramics at the local junior college. I sketched, crafted, painted with watercolor, and did design and decorating work on my own homes. Interior design is another key influence in my work.

 

 

During all of that, I moved to northern Vermont in 1995. My oldest son, who is autistic, could benefit from the progressive educational programs here. Advocating for young adults with developmental disabilities has been a focus of my adult life.

 

 

It wasn’t until my kids were both grown that I had the mental and physical space to get serious about my art practice. Once I didn’t have to clean the supplies off the kitchen table, my world changed.

 

 

Now that I could work larger, I moved away from watercolor. I began learning from online and in person courses to use acrylics and mixed media. Vermont has an exciting and active cultural scene which nurtures emerging artists, and introduced me to abstract art. I was hooked.

 

 

I regularly submit work for local member and juried shows, where my pieces often sell. I had my first solo exhibition in 2022 at a local vineyard and winery where I successfully sold. I’m excited to be a featured artist at a local art shop and gallery coming up later this year.

 

 

As I continue to evolve as an abstract and mixed media artist, I suspect I may be a colorist. I’m a color theory nerd and can happily experiment and mix colors for days.

 

 

I’m fascinated by what I can create with limited palettes, how colors interact, and creating unlimited effects within a painting. I am incorporating more texture into my art. That is taking me in new directions.

 

Linda Blackerby invites you to  follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

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