LINDA McCALL

ARTIST STATEMENT

An early interest in drawing and painting has led, ultimately, to the career I pursued in fine art. Strong inspiration from years of studying art and design since childhood; two degrees in fine art, along with opportunities to travel all over the world, have continued to influence me.

As a full-time oil and mixed-media painter I continue to strive for work that both challenges me and satisfies my personal sensibilities and objectives. While the work moved from representational in style as technical skills evolved over many years, I began to find my personal voice in terms of style. Like a pendulum swings back and forth, the paintings moved from representational into abstraction. My personal focus, at this time, is to achieve a balance that wavers on a fine point between the two styles. To achieve this balance, I begin by using environments I have seen; places I know or visited; sketched; photographed; and stored in my memory. They become inspiration and a scaffolding to build the paintings upon. My goal is to capture the feeling and atmosphere while letting go of unnecessary content and retaining enough to engage the viewer.

The imagery in recent work comes from events in my everyday life as well as from travel experiences. The locations could exist anywhere; often suggesting recognizable places while leaving the interpretation open to the viewer.  The paintings evolve dramatically as they emerge on the canvas. Color and lighting are exaggerated as space is simplified, making the location vague. Expressively painted figures are often incorporated that then become like stage performers. Their stories are invented from everyday life. In some, the semi-abstracted figures may be isolated and introspective while others are absorbed in personal interactions. They each have a story to tell. I become both painter and storyteller as the paintings become neither completely abstract nor are they realistic, hovering in between becoming both.

As a painter in today’s chaotic world there is a need to connect with things that are beautiful and good.