Linda Balek

I have been an artist for 35 years.  I preserve your memories by providing a piece of artwork which can be place on the wall for years. 

Why I do Landscapes 

Living most of my life in New England has given me the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors, with changing of the seasons.  You can find me with my husband hiking rural trails and seeking out hidden waterfalls.  Many of my subjects are taken from these excursions.  Most of my Landscape oil paintings depict the feeling of wilderness.  My landscape paintings are done with a combination of pallet knife and brush, thus creating a more dynamic feeling. 

Why I do Portraits 

I have been doing portraits for the last 30 years.  I started by doing them of my children when they were little and have now continued with my grandchildren.  The portraits are very special to me because it is a continued reminder of my children as they were growing up.   It brings back memories of those days and moments in their lives.  I want to give that gift of memory to others, so they can have what I have when I look the portraits of my children.  I use a more detail approach vs my landscapes for my portraits.   I want to achieve an accurate representation of the individual and give an emotion to my pieces. I will hold onto a piece till I reach that point. 

Why I do Pet Portraits 

I have always had pets.  When I was growing up, my mother loved animals.  One time she nursed an abandoned squirrel back to health.  The squirrel crawled to my mother for help.  She was tending to him around the clock and fed him every 4 hours to nurse him back to health. After the squirrel was healthy, she let him go.  We actually would see him once in a while in the yard.  We also had cats and dogs.  Her love for animals was passed on to me.  Since my time growing up, I have had four cats of my own.  One of my cats lived till he was 18 years old.  I realize what an attachment you have to a pet.  That is why I now do pet portraits. 

I often look at the portraits I have of my cats and have a warm feeling.  I also know that it is important to get the look right when doing a portrait of a pet.  Little things matter when representing an important family member.  I am able to achieve the necessary detail in a graphite pencil drawing or by using oil paint to give it a more creative edge but still have detail in the face. 

Why I do House Portraits 

I am doing house portraits because I am a structural engineer.  I don’t practice anymore, but still love the form of structures.  Even when I was designing bridges, I would be creating art on the side. 

And because houses become homes, I feel they deserve a place on a wall.  Places you live don’t just give you shelter but become memories.  I associate all the places I have lived or visited with certain events.   For my house portraits I use pen & ink to give the structural element to the design and use watercolor washes to achieve a more artistic piece. 

Why I teach 

 I have been instructing art for children and adults in the last 20 years.  I started with my children, which now are accomplished artist themselves.  My feeling about art is that everyone can do it.  You just need to practice and learn.    I want you to learn how to grow as an artist.  This is done with instruction. I have been teaching art for continuing education organizations for years. I also have taught private lessons for quite a few years too, some of my students staying with me for many years.