Artist's Statement

Biography of the Artist

Linda Merchant has been painting for as long as she can remember. As a child, she was inspired by the detailed wildlife artwork of Robert Bateman, Carl Brenders, and others. Primarily self-taught, she pursues a realistic approach to drawing and painting, creating detail in meticulous layers. Each painting can take up to a month to complete, as she must wait for each layer to dry before adding the next. Linda prefers to work in oils and soft pastel. Oils provide durability and a glow that cannot be achieved with other media, and soft pastels provide a brilliance and immediacy that can also not be equalled.

An educator at heart, Linda continues to teach art techniques via the Internet and other venues. She advocates for the revival of time-honored painting techniques, learning and then teaching painting techniques used by the Old Masters, including grisaille, glazing, and layering. While these techniques take far longer than some of the more immediate modern art forms, Linda's paintings take on a glow that cannot be achieved with any other technique. This quality has been recognized in the numerous awards that she has received since she first began exhibiting her work - her very first show entry won Best of Show, and she has since won 3 other Best of Show awards, on top of multiple other awards.

Linda currently resides in California, and finds inspiration in the local mountains, wildlife, and redwood forests of the state. She holds a BA in Archaeology, and a MS in Special Education.

Recognition

November, 2011 - Second Place, Sandhill Crane Festival, Lodi, CA
May, 2011 - First Place, Temecula Wildlife and Western Juried Art Show
May, 2011 - Honorable Mention, Temecula Wildlife and Western Juried Art Show
May, 2010 - Second Place, Spring Fling Show, CAA
April, 2010 - First Place, Temecula Western and Wildlife Juried Art Show
April, 2010 - Honorable Mention, Temecula Western and Wildlife Juried Art Show
October, 2009 - Show Chair Award, CAA
October, 2009 - Press Enterprise Article, CAA
June, 2009 - Juror's Award of Distinction in Theme, CAA
May, 2009 - Featured Demonstrator, CAA
September, 2007 - Featured Artist, HVAA
August, 2007 - First Place, HVAA
July, 2007 - Best of Show, HVAA - 'Golden Monkey'
June, 2007 - 'Allsorts' selected for library exhibition
May, 2007 - 'Kit Fox' selected for library exhibition
March, 2007 - Third Place, Miniature, HVAA
January, 2007 - Second Place, Miniature, HVAA
January, 2007 - Honorable Mention, HVAA
December, 2006 - 'Wise One' selected for library exhibition
November, 2006 - Best of Show, HVAA - 'Wise One'
November, 2006 - Honorable Mention, Miniature, HVAA
November, 2006 - 'Leopard in the Grass' selected for library exhibition
October, 2006 - 'Watching the Pride' selected for library exhibition
October, 2006 - 2nd Place, Miniature, HVAA
October, 2006 - 3rd Place, Bronze, HVAA
September, 2006 - Best of Show, HVAA - 'Watching the Pride'
September, 2006 - 'Wise One' selected for library exhibition
September, 2006 - 2nd Place, Bronze, HVAA
August, 2006 - 'The Huntress' selected for library exhibition
July, 2006 - Featured Artist, HVAA
July, 2006 - 'Chestnut' selected for library exhibition
June, 2006 - 1st Place, Miniature, HVAA
June, 2006 - 1st Place, Bronze, HVAA
June, 2006 - 'Intensity' selected for library exhibition
May, 2006 - 1st Place, Bronze, HVAA
May, 2006 - 3rd Place, Miniature, HVAA
April, 2006 - Best of Show, HVAA
April, 2006 - 2nd Place, Bronze, HVAA

Events and Gallery Shows

November, 2011 - Sandhill Crane Festival, Lodi, CA
October, 2011 - Autumn Glow, High Hand Art Gallery
October, 2011 - Placer Arts 360 Juried Show
October, 2011 - Northern California Arts Bold Expressions International Juried Show
July, 2011 - Fontana Arts Festival
June, 2011 - Summer Arts at Dos Lagos
June, 2011 - Riverside Art Museum Members' Exhibition
June, 2011 - Spring Fling, Corona Art Association
May, 2011 - Temecula Wildlife and Western Juried Art Show
May, 2011 - Art and Flower Show - Corona
May, 2011 - Painting Demonstration - Susan B. Anthony Elementary
April, 2011 - Fallbrook Avocado Festival
April, 2011 - Palm Springs Desert Arts Festival
March, 2011 - Maxine Piester Show, Corona Art Association
November, 2010 - 28th Annual San Bernardino Wildlife Art Festival
October, 2010 - Riverside Arts Walk
September, 2010 - One-Person Exhibition, Steelworkers Auditorium
September, 2010 - Riverside Arts Walk
August, 2010 - Riverside Arts Walk
August, 2010 - Corona Library Historical Art Show
July, 2010 - Fontana Festival of the Arts
July, 2010 - Miniatures Show, Riverside Art Museum
June, 2010 - Corona Art and Antiques Fair, Corona
June, 2010 - Rosa Parks Art Festival, Corona
May, 2010 - Spring Fling Show, Corona Art Association
April, 2010 - Temecula Western and Wildlife Juried Art Show
March, 2010 - Book-a-palooza, Corona Public Library
February, 2010 - Maxine Piester Show, Corona Art Association
October, 2009 - Festival of the Arts, DVAC
October, 2009 - Dominick Frascella Show, Corona Art Association
July, 2009 - Promenade Jazz Festival, Dos Lagos
June, 2009 - Birds, Bees, and Trees, Corona Art Association
May, 2009 - Demonstrator, Corona Art Association
May, 2009 - Spring Fling, Corona Art Association
November, 2008 - Off The Wall - Riverside Art Museum
May, 2008 - California National Orange Show
May, 2008 - Art in the Park, Redlands
September, 2007 - Featured Artist, HVAA
August, 2007 - An Evening of Art
July, 2007 - Mural Participant, Parkview Hospital
June, 2007 - Temecula Sidewalk Art Festival
June, 2007 - Open House, HVAA
April, 2007 - The Old Town Gallery
August, 2006 - Temecula Art Festival
August, 2006 - An Evening of Art
July, 2006 - Featured Artist, HVAA