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Featured Artist for February 1998
In Three Dalmatians, Linda uses crisp colors to show a fun frolick in the backyard. She was at her drawing board watching her black lab play in the yard and started to paint the scene. But her daughter, Libby, who loves Dalmatians since she saw "101 Dalmatians", insisted she should paint a Dalmatian. They agreed there should be more than one and the result is what you see, three Dalmatians playing in her backyard. Meet the Artist 
Linda Mears was born in California in 1949 and was raised in rural settings with
nearby farms, horse ranches, beaches and mountains. Her summers were frequently
spent traveling and experiencing the sights and activities of the United States.
These activities are what sparked her interest in representing what she saw artistically.
She sees the world in a positive light which is a possible reason why her art
is so uplifting. Linda's family roots are grounded in an Americana tradition which strongly influences her work. Her father was also born and raised on a farm in Michigan and now lives on a farm in Oregon. Her grandparents were Pennsylvania Dutch Quaker but her grandfather, being the rebellious type, traveled with her grandmother to California on a motorcycle! Two of her two great-aunts acted in silent movies and a great-uncle composed music and led the band at the Cotton Club. One can easily see where her creative background comes into play. In keeping with their Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, Linda's family frequently engaged in creative activities at home; sewing, doll making, woodwork, painting, etc. From childhood and on into her adult life, Linda was frequently involved in artistic drawing, painting, clay sculpture, lost wax sculpture for jewelry, fashion design, classical guitar, piano, and even poetry. She has occasionally given classical guitar and piano lessons and her poetry was published in a magazine in the 1960's.  She currently lives in California with her husband Charles, a computer software consultant, and her daughters, twelve-year-old Amy and six-year-old Libby who attend Lewis Carroll Academy of the Arts. Inspired by her Pennsylvania Dutch background, her upbringing in rural and semi-rural areas of California, and summer vacations spent motoring across the United States, Linda frequently found ways to express herself artistically. But it wasn't until 1987, after working as a nurse for nearly twenty years, that she was recognized by Jay Johnson of Jay Johnson America's Folk Heritage Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City. Within months she had become one of Jay's top sellers. Since then, her paintings continue to appear in major galleries, museums, exhibitions, private collections and publications worldwide. She's also been featured along with other notable artists such as Grandma Moses, Theodore (Ted) Jeremenko, Edward Hicks, Kathy Jakobson and Susan Slyman. Reproductions of her work are published on cards, calendars and books worldwide. She is also a Member of Folk Art Society of America and a Member of the American Folk Art Museum. 
Ballooning Over The Country was inspired by a drive home from her grandma's
house at the desert. They saw at least twenty hot air balloons floating through
the countryside just south of Los Angeles. In this hectic, complex world where
we are so frequently bombarded with bad news, the art of Linda Mears is a welcome
contrast. Her colorfully detailed work shows us just how splendid life really
is -- or can be. She paints whenever she can and simply fits it into the flow
of the day, along with getting the kids to school, doing errands, and family activities.
Even her drawing board is in the middle of everything, situated right between
the living room and dining room. If the noise is too much to bear at any given
time, she just puts on her headphones for awhile and listens to something else.
Equally skilled at subjects as varied as carnivals and circuses, rodeos, horse races, dog shows, country scenes, animal portraits, and still lifes, Linda's strength of composition, and diverse personal experience create radiant messages of what is wholesome and joyous about American life.  About
The Artist At The Races was painted because Linda has always enjoyed horses whether riding or watching the races. Her favorite was "Sesu Der King" whom she helped train for jumping when she was eleven years old. She wanted to show the excitement of a race in this scene, which she happened to place around the year 1910. As a child, she loved to draw or paint the horses she rode, the birds in the back yard, the mountains, people, animals, and scenery from her summer vacations. She remembers times when her mother would kick her out of her room to get out and have fun with her friends when she spent too much time in her room drawing. Having mistakenly considered her interest in art as only a hobby, Linda followed in her mother's and grandmother's professional footsteps by becoming a nurse, while continuing to pursue her art interest part time. Table For Ten was the first painting in a series of about twenty works created for "CATMAN KEELEY - 101 Adventures in the Life and Times of Bo Keeley", an autobiography which will soon be completed and published. This work is the opening scene of the book which depicts Catman, who has just graciously accepted a weekend at one of the better homes in South Hampton, sitting with Ambassadors and the "wealthiest man in America" as he begins to tell the events of each of his 101 death defying adventures. Most recently, Linda was commissioned to do a group of paintings for Victor Niederhoffer's "top ten" best selling non-fiction book, THE EDUCATION OF A SPECULATOR, of which over 100,000 copies have sold. 
Fruit Bowl & Cockatoo was the first still life she painted. The appeal
of Linda's artwork lies in her great attention to detail, brilliant colors, strength
of composition, buoyant vitality, and a kind of wide-eyed sense of wonder. Working
with oil on canvas, she paints from memory, photographs, and life. Her vivid imagination
sweeps her deeper and deeper into her work and she continually catches the fun
in life for all to see. Linda's paintings are a welcome reprieve in today's world.
EXHIBITION LIST
One of her favorite artists
is Maxfield Parrish. She says, "I especially love his use of colors. In Picnic
By The Lake, I had just been admiring a selection of his work when I was inspired
to do this quiet moment by a sparkling lake. If you look closely you will see
several different small animals looking on at the picnickers. Please Email ArtQuest for sales information
A Few Words From the Artist My understanding of art is that it is "quality of communication", with an exchange of emotions and a message occurring between myself and those viewing my work. Also, I see that there are many more forms of quality of communication occurring in life than those expressed in the arts. Each and every person, business, country, or project in life has its own quality of communication. Even the way a person dresses, walks or talks expresses this. My goal is for my art to contribute to the improvement of our society's overall quality of communication, which in turn would contribute to an improvement of the quality of our life. My ultimate goal is that my art would contribute to a new Renaissance on Earth where all artists and individuals are flourishing and prospering. What better time for a Renaissance than at the beginning of a new millennium! ~ Linda Mears |
Janine Zinn
