I grew up in the land of the big sky on the rolling prairies of North Dakota where fields of wheat wave gently on breezy summer afternoons.  The tranquility of this vast open multi-hued landscape lingers in my mind as I explore the subtleties of light and color in my paintings.  My love affair with watercolor began when I first saw the way watercolors seem to come alive and sparkle as they are placed on the page, either flowing together or standing stiffly apart, each to make their own statement.  When doing landscapes, I usually make quick watercolor sketches on location and do the larger watercolors in the studio. I also like to do large abstract paintings, but for these I prefer the easy blending quality and quick drying time of acrylics. I do many drawings in ink focusing especially on trees at the edge of local tidal creeks where they struggle to hold on to life as erosion constantly undermines their hold on the soil.  

My paintings, whether realistic or abstract, reflect all of my life experience.  The undulations of the prairie, my love of nature, my involvement in the world of microbiology, and my quest for spiritual understanding all appear in my art. 

I am always aware that each painting records one moment in time--a scene that was not the same a moment ago, and will not be the same a moment later.  I believe Edward Hopper captured these moments in his art and I strive to incorporate life's defining moments in mine.  I have studied art in North Dakota, Texas, and Virginia.  But I believe it was my exposure to the works of artists in all media during my many years of as the Assistant Director of The Art League School in Alexandria, VA. that helped my art mature.   

I have exhibited in shows and won awards in North Dakota, Texas and Virginia. I was “Artist-in-Residence” at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Most recently I have had exhibited in shows at Green Spring Gardens Park, George Washington's River Farm - The American Horticultural Center, Northern Virginia Community College, The Art League Gallery in Alexandria, VA, Franconia Governmental Center, The Kingstown Library and The Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology. I have paintings in private collections in the United States, Guam, England, Saudi Arabia and Peru.  E. C. May & Company, The Art League Gallery in Alexandria, VA, Water and Queen Studio, Tappahannock, VA and Teddy’s Gallery in Medora, ND currently represent me. I am a member of Springfield Art Guild and The Art League, Alexandria, VA. 

Please visit my web page at www.linda-porten.com