Author: Linda Barnicott Publishing

Your Painter of Memories

“Your Painter of Memories” has been my tag line for as long as I can remember. Way back when I was just getting started as an artist, it was all about how I could help preserve your memories by creating a portrait of your special someone. Then as I started painting Pittsburgh landmarks like Kaufmann’s clock and Kennywood Park, it began to describe sharing memories of happy times spent with family and friends. Now my “Jolly Old Elf” series of Santa paintings evokes a different set of cherished memories of the holiday season with imagination and warm nostalgic feelings of

Twice as Nice – Welcome, Autumn and Abigail!

As you know, Tom and I have been eagerly awaiting the birth of our twin granddaughters, originally expected sometime in August. However, as time passed, our daughter developed more and more complications in her pregnancy. Alyssa was admitted to the hospital, and for the last week and a half, we’ve been in crisis mode as we prayed for our daughter’s life and the lives of her twins. The situation changed minute by minute, with the actions being taken based on the precarious state of her health and the babies’ well-being. Finally, the decision was made to deliver the babies at

We Have a Winner!

Well, I’m back from vacation, and what a vacation it was! We avoided the touristy parts – no Zoo, no Sea World – and other than splurging on a few movies and restaurants, Tom and I did just about every free thing there was to do in San Diego. Much of our time was spent just enjoying the ocean, the boardwalk, and the bay. We walked, we talked, we people-watched, and we especially loved watching the seals and sea lions! Balboa Park (shown in the photo above) was our favorite place to hang out. The part I liked best was listening to

It’s Always Sunny in California

Vacation must really agree with us – Tom and I are super relaxed and enjoying our time away. A change of scene is something I highly recommend for everyone. Even if you can’t leave town, just spending some uninterrupted time with your loved ones is energizing for your spirit. Sometimes you’re lucky enough to have a great vacation experience that stays with you for the rest of your life. Other times you might have an experience that’s memorable… but for the wrong reasons! This actually isn’t our first visit to La Jolla. We vacationed here once many years ago when

Greetings from San Diego!

Tom and I are in San Diego for the next two weeks getting some much needed R&R! And San Diego is definitely a great place for that. It’s really a beautiful city. The historic Gas Lamp District (as seen in the photo above) is one of those places I would love to paint, especially the unique trolleys. Since we arrived two days ago, we’ve been focused on putting our feet up and basking in the sun, but soon we’ll get out and see all the sights we’ve heard so much about. Of course I couldn’t leave work completely behind… so I’ll take

Claire’s Garden

This week I had an opportunity to do something I love but don’t get to do very often. I spent an entire day visiting the beautiful garden of one of my clients to paint a plein airpastel. Claire’s remarkable garden is an exceptional, very personal expression of her love for landscape design and the beauty of nature. There is a unique gate and a wooden fence, both handmade by Claire herself, and they’re quite striking. They became the essential elements of the painting, but I also made sure to include the bird feeder, which is one of my favorite features. I

Contest – What’s Inside the Snow Globe?

Artists sometimes have an upside-down perspective on the seasons. Because the creative process takes time, we have to think many months ahead to prepare for the next season. So now that spring/summer has fully arrived (simultaneously this year!), my thoughts have turned toward Christmas… particularly, the 2018 paintings in my “Jolly Old Elf” series. This year’s companion print – the one that inspired me first – is Santa looking into a beautiful sparkly snow globe. But as you can see, the globe is empty! It’s not that I don’t know what to put in the snow globe – I’ve already

I’m in Love

Can you believe this weather? When Spring finally came, it came in a big hurry, and I’m in love! I’m in love with the sunshine. I’m in love with the white flowers of my cherry tree floating through the air. I’m in love with the fragrances of the flowers, and I especially love with playing outside with my granddaughter. Outside is her favorite place to be, and blowing bubbles is her favorite pastime. I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned it to you or not, but this year I’ve been serving as president of the Pittsburgh Pastel Art League. It’s a

Spring Fever!

As we head into Easter weekend, the Barnicott family is caught up in holiday planning and activities. But even without the holiday, the entire family has a lot going on right now. So much is happening this week! My younger daughter (who as I’ve mentioned before is expecting twins!) and our beloved son-in-law Jon along with our little granddaughter Aria are closing on a house of their own next week. Meanwhile, Jon is looking for a new job, and my daughter Brittany just got one – she was promoted to Director of Marketing for St. Vincent de Paul. Tom, of

Spring Therapy

What happened to spring? Tuesday was supposed to be the first day of spring, and we ended up getting buried under a blanket of snow. (That stupid groundhog lied AGAIN!) My brain and my body are so tired of winter… so what, I wondered, could I do to console myself while springtime is so elusive, and we still have a landscape covered in winter white? Well, I found just the thing… I pulled together some of the plein air landscapes I had painted during my travels. After being battered by the shock of yet another cold snap and close to