I’m exhibiting at a brand new show this Saturday! It’s a celebration of Pittsburgh called “412 Fest” (referring to our Pittsburgh 412 area code).

The festival will be held at Bakery Square in East Liberty on Saturday, April 12 (4/12 – get it?). If you live nearby or happen to be in the East End that day, I would love to have you stop by and say hi. We’ll be there from noon until 4 pm, with lots of ideas for birthday or anniversary gifts (or maybe just to treat yourself!). We can’t wait to participate in what looks like a really fun event!

As I come close to finishing my new painting of Dublin, Ireland, I’ve shared some of the process with you, with even more on my Facebook page. I had so many wonderful comments in the last week, but Shawna’s comment stood out from the rest because it was so unique. It also captured the essence of why I’m painting this new International Series.

Shawna has agreed to let me share her comment about the unfinished painting with you:

“This is beautiful, and honestly I love it just like this. Unfinished, it reminds me of planning a vacation in my mind (the sketch) and then the actual experience (the full color completion).”

Creating this painting has been a joyful experience. As it comes together, I’m enjoying the interplay of colors, energy, and light.  I hope you’re enjoying a peek into the process!

Will I see you on Saturday? I sure hope so!

P.S. – Here’s the 412 Fest schedule!

My husband and I have always dreamed of travel. As a kid, I was very blessed to have parents who had boats and sailing vessels that I enjoyed every weekend until I married and moved to Pittsburgh. Tom didn’t have many opportunities to travel with his family, and when we got married, we dreamed of seeing the country together.

Each year after a hectic holiday season (especially the Holiday Market in Downtown Pittsburgh), we’d take a January trip to escape from the cold. All we could think about was getting away to a warm southern climate. As a result of all that traveling, Tom and I have been to 49 of the 50 states, some with our children, and some on our own. We achieved that milestone a couple of years ago, with only Alaska left to check off our list.

Two years ago, we were researching airfares to Southern California and were surprised to find that it would actually be less expensive in January to fly to Europe. We had always talked about traveling abroad. I even had booked a trip once and cancelled it before we got too serious. But this time, I managed to work past my nerves, and we flew to London and Paris, albeit for just a few days in each city. It was still cold there… but we were in Europe, which made it all worth it!

Now we’re totally addicted to traveling “across the pond.” So this year, I felt inspired to start an International Series of paintings from each of the countries we’ve visited so far. My hope is that these paintings may bring back memories for people who have traveled there, or to anyone for whom visiting those countries would be a dream of their own.

Having completed and published my Portugal rock and beach painting, “Along the Algarve Beach,” I’m currently working on my second international painting. It’s a unique rendering of the popular Temple Bar neighborhood in Dublin, Ireland.

I only took one photograph in Temple Bar, but it ended up being very inspirational. Here are the first few photographs of my creative process. Don’t jump to conclusions yet! In my mind, I can visualize the finished painting, so just hang in there with me.

I don’t have a title for it yet, and I’m not sure how long it will take me to paint, but I hope you enjoy the journey with me to this charming, delightful Irish neighborhood.

But wait, there’s more!  In addition to introducing my new series, I have another announcement…

You can now order my new collection of Brass Pins online from my website. These beautiful pins are perfect for lapels, hats, purses, backpacks, and straps, plus any other creative ways you may come up with to showcase them. The first four designs in the collection include the Horne’s Tree, PPG in the Skating Rink, My Hometown (with the Incline), and for all of you Santa lovers, “Here comes Santa’s Jolly Trolley!” You can purchase these unique and colorful pins for $15 each on my website here. Have fun collecting!

With the successful completion of another Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, I want to say thanks to my crazy helpers! I wish I had a photo with all of you, but THANK YOU! Shows are awfully taxing when setting up and tearing down, but my helpers always make the job so enjoyable!

This morning, I was on the phone with a dear artist friend who seemed to be having trouble getting back to the studio. We were talking about how to get inspired, and I suggested she try one of my old tricks – hanging out in her art studio and not leaving until eventually the watercolors will call out to her to start painting. This was the exact advice I was given by my sister years ago when I was stuck in an art desert. I also suggested that she “just paint something,” like I did after Portugal (I painted a rock!) – my friend replied, “I love that rock!”

“Along the Argarve Beach” was my return to painting after the big season in Market Square and our adventure in Portugal. I was inspired to paint the piece by the beauty of the light playing on the surface of the rock and the reflection in the water as the waves broke upon it.

Sometimes inspiration comes to me just from sitting down to write this blog every week!  In fact, just today while looking at Tom’s phone for blogworthy photos, I came across one of our three granddaughters gazing at the city from the West End Overlook. I saw myself in those girls and thought, “I wonder if they’re seeing what I’ve always seen from that view – the beauty of our hometown?”

Pittsburgh has given me years of painting opportunities and stories to tell! I’m not sure what this year holds for me artistically, but I am wide open to the endless possibilities.

Change is in the air, and I’m ready for it! Have a great week!

This week, I have some exciting news to share with you – I sold an original!!!

It’s always a joyous time when I know that one of my paintings is going to a happy home, and it’s not unusual at all to find out that one of my pieces has deeply touched the heart of its buyer. But this one is a bit different; it was a very emotional experience for me.

With the ongoing situation in Ukraine, my painting, “Unbroken – The Heart of Ukraine,” has been on my mind lately. It’s been nearly three years since I painted the pastel. All the profits from the initial release of the print at that time went directly to two organizations to support Ukrainian children. Thanks to many of you, we were able to send over $2000.00.

After seeing the response to the original this week, I’ve decided to re-release the print. Unfortunately, I’m not able to do the charity project this time, but it does seem to be a good time for a gentle reminder of the strength and determination of the Ukrainian people.

My collector asked me, “What made you paint it?” I turned it over in my mind for a while as I lay awake last night, and this is how I replied…

It was in the spring of the first year of the war. Like everyone else, my heart was breaking for the Ukrainian people as I listened to their stories. I was in awe of the courage and strength they displayed every day to defend their country.

Young couples saying goodbye as they parted… mothers and children fleeing while their husbands and sons stayed to fight.
It was a raw moment, but their determination and their dedication to what they believed in inspired me. I just had to do something. Some musically gifted Americans wrote songs, so I thought, “Why not use my art?”

But how would I represent Ukraine on canvas? As I sat in stopped traffic near the Liberty Bridge one day, I googled “sunflowers,” (Ukraine’s national flower) and came across the heart-shaped ones. I thought of the colors of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow, and the painting began to take shape in my mind. I saw these heart-shaped sunflowers representing Ukraine, with a dewdrop in the shape of a tear to symbolize the sorrow and the loss. Of course, the sunflowers weren’t alone. Just like the Ukrainian people, they stand proud and defiant together

When I pulled into my driveway, Tom was sitting on the porch. I couldn’t wait to get out of the car and tell him my idea. I literally sat down that night and started to paint, and I finished it late the next day. Whenever I flow like that, the paintings practically paint themselves. I truly am just a vessel!

Needless to say, I will have 9” x 12” prints available at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from March 7th through the 16th.

I will also have a new painting that I will announce soon! 

Can it be spring yet? Please? I don’t know about you, but I was born in April and I am definitely a spring baby. Well, maybe not a baby anymore! This year I’ll be 67, but being blessed to live in Pennsylvania, I have enjoyed spring every year since I was born. With just two weeks until the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show begins, I’m super excited about seeing and smelling spring flowers again… admiring beautiful landscaping… meeting first-timer visitors to the show… and of course, introducing my art to newcomers and creating new relationships.

As I prepare for my 28th year at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, I am delighted to introduce a new international series that will start with a very modest new painting, “Along the Algarve, Portugal.” This new 9” x 12” open-edition print will be available at the show and also online at https://lindabarnicott.com/product/along-the-algarve-beach-portugal/. Though it’s an open edition, I will only have a limited number available at my booth (#3146-8)… so come early! This piece is a perfect gift for anyone who has traveled to Portugal and would love a memory of the beautiful beaches and ever-changing weather. It would also fit beautifully into an ocean-themed décor!

The original is currently being framed in a neutral top mat and an accent bottom mat, showcased in a beautiful white gold frame with a brass title plate. You can see it at the show, and it will be available for purchase.

I can’t reveal the details just yet, but there’s another new piece that will be unveiled at the show. Remember how I said I was working on a painting that I couldn’t talk about? Well, it’s ready now and will be presented at the show with prints available. Stay tuned!

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 an old friend. I’ve met many of you there, and you have enriched my life.

In that time, I’ve upgraded from a single booth to a double booth at the beginning of the Art aisle and expanded from having just a few paintings to more paintings then I can display at once.

I’ve seen a lot in my 28 years at this particular show:  Dream Houses, Ferris Wheels, a Cessna plane, Princess Diana’s dresses, and an indoor ice rink, to name just a few.  This year I’m excited to share with you that there will be a Model Home built inside the Convention Center itself! I’ll be there with a collection of my art and gifts to decorate or to share, as well as pieces of my original art – something I rarely bring from my home studio.

Have a great week!

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 storms. The air and breeze were absolutely perfect. The skies were dark to our right, and the sun was shining in front of us. On the beach were several large rocks that had shells all through them. The sun was hitting this particular rock, and the waves would gently come right up to the edge of it. As the wave receded, the sand glistened for one glorious moment before the water sank into the sand, leaving a perfect reflection. I hope I can do it justice with my pastels.

As I mentioned last week, we had a lot of rain on our trip. We sometimes misjudged the weather and ended up getting soaked to the skin. Funny thing about some of these countries we’ve visited – they don’t have dryers! It took two days under the heater vent to get our clothes dry again.

Now that we’re back, life is back to being busy. This is the beginning of my painting season, and in just another week or two, I’ll be getting ready for my next big show – The Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, running from March 7th to the 16th this year.

Have a great week!

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 town which is also north of Lisbon along the coast.  Both places have done wonders in reenergizing our minds and bodies.

We’re currently on a bus, traveling through the countryside, headed for our week-long stay in Albufeira in the south of Portugal. Our view from the window is nothing but lush olive trees as far as the eye can see!

I haven’t written to you about my health issue that I’ve been experiencing since the summer, but I’d like to share it now. I had been experiencing mold sickness from black mold found in our home. It’s been a long journey to get the remediation done in our home and to detox the mold from my body. It had become quite debilitating, with inflammation causing me to lose a knuckle on my right hand (thank heavens I’m left handed!). It also messed with my body chemistry.

Long story short, in addition to the supplements and saunas, I’ve been on an extremely strict diet since late September. When I saw the doc right before my trip, he gave me the green light to eat whatever I’d like in Portugal. Food tastes so much better after being on such a limited diet!

Maybe I should paint a food series this year? In fact, I’ve been thinking about painting Isaly’s. Any thoughts? I’d love to hear from you, especially if you have photos you can share! I know by the time we return home, I’ll be itching to paint again.

Take care, my friends!

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, that year we started a tradition – our January vacation. It’s a great way of breaking up those long winter months and gives me something to look forward to while I’m at my Market Square Chalet, shivering through December!

Now that I’m not afraid of long flights, the last few years we’ve morphed into overseas vacations. Last year, we spent ten days in the south of Spain. We loved it so much that this year we decided to visit Portugal! We’re leaving next Tuesday to spend twelve days enjoying more moderate temperatures and lots of sunshine.

But before I go, I thought I would give you a little art show of originals and how I frame them. I had some really nice comments about my Hills painting that I sold last week, and I wanted to share my four favorite originals in my pastel collection that are still available for purchase. I get to enjoy them hanging on my own walls until they find a happy home!

“Holiday Season on Grant Street” is the oldest of the four. It was painted after the third year of the Nativity Scene at the US Steel Building. Each year, they added new figurines to the crèche; that year, the Angel joined the scene. Molly’s Trolleys even got into the fun and sent one of their trolleys by during our photo shoot. We had so much fun that afterward the driver took us on a tour of the city! Here’s a secret – this piece was actually posed in May, and I added the snow and the Holiday feel later. One of my favorite parts of the painting was highlighting the First Lutheran Church and its beautiful stained glass windows.

“Dear Santa” is the only Santa original I still own, and it means so much to me. There is a lot going on in this painting. Nestled snug in his study (AKA, our old living room), Santa is reading letters from children all over the world. Noel the kitten is helping Santa, hoping Santa will share some milk and cookie crumbs. The letter, which I placed in the foreground so the viewer could read it, is an actual letter sent to Santa from a very selfless and sweet girl. It reads, “Dear Santa, I hope that all the people in the world find someone special to be with this Merry Christmas.” Many of the vintage toys and decorations in the scene are family treasures handed down through the years… you might recognize some of them from other paintings in the Jolly Old Elf series!

“Santa’s Favorite Toy Store” features SW Randall’s iconic toy store on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh. This was a painting that I spent two years taking photos of while going to and from the parking garage during the Holiday Market. I just love the shimmer of the blues against the snow, the white gold framing, and the navy silken mat. Other highlights include my grandgirls peeking in the windows at the toys, my Santa as a statuette in the corner, and Mr. C working in the background; it’s truly one of my all-time favorites.

Finally, there’s “Glad Tidings at Gimbels.” I finally painted Gimbels after all these years of wishful thinking! The framing just came together on that one. I believe it’s the most unique of the four paintings!  You would think those windows would have driven me crazy, but the funny thing is that I enjoyed painting each and every one of them!  There wasn’t one single photo that became the finished painting – it’s a composite of dozens of photos that people were kind enough to share with me. I couldn’t have done it without many of you helping me find all the resources I needed.

So now I have a favor to ask you…

My goal is to paint Isaly’s this year, and I’m reaching out to all of you for any photos or memorabilia that you could share with me. I’ll be away until late January, but email still works! I would really love to hear from you.

I hope you have a great week, and I’ll try to check in from Portugal!

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 the painting and reliving memories with them.

On Wednesday, there was a children’s choir who performed on the stage. More than 90 children gathered together to join their voices in beautiful song. We told the kids that their music teacher was Tom’s best friend’s son, and they were amused to see their teacher as a young man in one of my paintings!

Another young man remembered my painting of the Kennywood Carousel hanging in his parents’ home when he was a child. He said that the carousel was a special memory for him because it was always their last ride before he and his father would leave the park.  He ended up purchasing another one of my favorite Kennywood paintings, “Coasting Through Kennywood,” to start his own collection.

I also heard that I was on KDKA’s Pittsburgh Today Live… well, not me exactly, but one of my other holiday prints! Antiques expert Dr. Lori talked about the painting and its value on the program. I was quite honored!

(Click on this link to watch the PTL segment – my painting appears at around the 3:50 mark)
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/video/whats-it-worth-with-dr-lori-december-17-2024/

The people we’ve met this year have been truly amazing, and Tom and I have enjoyed every minute of our season here. If you’re in the area, please venture down – don’t miss this exciting holiday time in Pittsburgh!

As for the big sellers this year, the puzzles are practically flying off the shelves, as are my new pins. I’ll admit I was bit surprised at how many people love puzzles and collect pins. I am so grateful to have both of these new product lines at the market this year.

But if you live far away, don’t forget to check out my artwork at my website, www.lindabarnicott.com. Though your print may not arrive in time for Christmas Day, I told one of my customers yesterday that if it didn’t arrive in time for gift opening, he could print out a copy of it and put it in a box with the promise that the real thing will show up within a day or two. He said it must be a Pittsburgh thing because his wife always did that when a gift didn’t make it for Christmas morning!

And, by the way, my art also makes a great gift or home décor addition after the holidays! Who doesn’t need a January pick-me-up?

I hope you have a tremendous pre-Christmas week!

Happy Holidays!