It’s been quite a busy week. I was hoping to have a small painting from Portugal to share with you, but as John Lennon once said, “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” But I’m almost there with the piece, so stay tuned… In the meantime, I’ve been starting to prepare for my next and oldest show. That’s right – The Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, Pittsburgh’s traditional first sign of spring –  is just around the corner. This will be my 28th year as an exhibitor at the show, so at this point, The Home and Garden Show feels like…

So here we are back in Pittsburgh… we’re happy to be home again, but we’re not exactly sad that we missed the sub-zero weather. Portugal was a beautiful place – lots of mountains, lots of fruit trees, lots of ocean, and some of the nicest people!  I hope you enjoy a few of our favorite vacation pics. Our overseas trips have inspired me to create a series of paintings, one from each country we’ve visited. It will be really hard to choose just one subject! Currently, I’m painting a small seascape. One day, we were walking on the beach between…

It looks like we picked the perfect time to travel to escape from the Pittsburgh cold and snow! Though the weather forecast here says today may be our last sunny day on this trip, it’s so much warmer and quite beautiful here. I don’t understand a word of Portuguese, but the language sounds beautiful to my ears. Nearly everyone we have interacted with does understand and speak English, so we’ve been very fortunate. Tom and I spent two days in Sintra, a romantic old world town just north of Lisbon. Last night and this morning we spent time in Nazaré, a beach…

I don’t know about you, but I sure do hate to say goodbye to the lights and the sparkle of the Holiday Season. Tom and I have been driving around Pittsburgh this week, enjoying the last of the lights before midwinter takes over. Twelve years ago was the winter that I froze during the Holiday Market in that year’s Polar Vortex. I remember calling Tom from the Market and with chattering teeth, informing him that we were going to Florida the very moment that it was over! I had to get warm, and we were going no matter what! Well,…

Hi, it’s Linda, with a jolly Ho-Ho-Ho! We have been crazy busy down at the Holiday Market! With less than a week left, I’m excited to meet all the folks who come down to the Market and listen to the stories they share. Every day, there’s something new. For example, the other night, Fred Mazur showed up. (If you recall, he’s the gentleman whose classic gold Avanti car appears in my painting, “Lincoln Highway’s Historical Ship Hotel.”) When Fred arrived, he walked up to the counter and asked, “Where’s my car?”  He had brought some friends along and had fun sharing…

Hi, it’s Linda, your busy, busy artist friend! I have a few things to share with you today… First up, I want to mention how dearly I love my husband Tom. No, it’s not our anniversary…. it’s SHOWTIME! My van is constantly being packed full of my art and gifts, show supplies, shelving, and tables. We’re in a constant re-stocking mode for each of our shows, and Tom is always my greatest asset! It wouldn’t be nearly so much fun without him working alongside me. He’s essential in keeping us on track this year… and in every season! With my artwork…

Today, I’m looking out the window at the beautiful yellow leaves floating on a gentle breeze and shimmering with the touch of bright sunlight. Which reminds me that we’re already into the Fall/Holiday season, so full of fun activities and celebrations. Having 80-degree weather on Halloween is pretty unusual, but at least for once my grandgirls don’t have to cover up over their costumes! Even with Halloween behind us, it’s full steam ahead until Christmas! This coming weekend is full of activities for me as well. For example… Friday – I’m filming a spot for local cable BPTV that will air…

There’s no time like the present to get started on your Holiday shopping! If you happen to be in the Monroeville area, come see me this Saturday at the Monroeville United Methodist Church Fall Festival from 10-3. I’ll be set up in the parlor of the church with my prints and gifts and available to sign your purchases all day! My booth will be fully stocked with a selection of my prints, puzzles, art mugs, holiday cards and note cards, art bags, magnets, bookmarks, and ornaments. If you’re a collector who’s looking for what’s new, there will also be a special table of “Linda’s…

Happy Fall! For me, the arrival of Fall means it’s “Show Season,” my busiest (and most exciting) time of the year. First, we had a very successful show at the Mt. Lebanon Artist Market. Then on Thursday, I was an honored guest at the Purse Gala for the Highmark Caring Place. I brought 34 prints with me to be displayed and bid on, and 25 of them were sold. So many people spoke to me afterward about how the paintings were meaningful to them. It was wonderful to be a part of this special fundraiser that helps families who are grieving. Next, Tom and I…

Today is the day – the big announcement of my new painting release for the 2024 Holiday Season! When I started my Santa series nine years ago, I had a five-year painting plan. (All I can say to that is “Oops!”) The last four years of “extra Santas” have been both a surprise and a delight, as new ideas seem to be birthed every year. You see, I really enjoy the holidays, and there is something about painting Santa that brings me back to the old days of twinkling lights, gifts from the heart, and mistletoe… or in this case,…