Artist Captures Spirit of “The Steel City”

Observer Reporter, May 23, 1999
by Lori Wilkerson

A snowy, twilight evening lit by the warmth of streetlights and shoppers gazing in shop windows graces the front of “A Holiday Tradition,” one of the most popular sets of Christmas cards ever produced for the American Cancer Society. Artist Linda Barnicott captures the charm and wonder of the historic Pittsburgh landmark in rich pastels, the tree soaring over the shoppers and Santa Claus.

Originally a portraitist, Barnicott was approached in 1989 to do a Pittsburgh street scene that included one of the old trolley cars. Wanting to produce something that was specific to Pittsburgh, she created “Meet Me Under Kaufmann’s Clock,” a tribute to a holiday tradition loved by generations. The artist remembers fondly that when she first produced prints of it, they sold slowly.

“Many people weren’t sure if it was okay to hang a Christmas scene in their homes year-round,” Said Barnicott, a delicate, elegant woman with auburn hair and a warm smile. “But as the holidays approached, Kustom Korners told me they were selling like crazy. In part, the name sold the print, because so many people remember doing exactly that – meeting under the clock.”

Now the Green Tree resident spends all her available time doing portraits of the city she loves. Her Christmas street scenes series includes a second Kaufmann’s clock, “Sharing the Season at Market Square,” and her largest work yet, “My Home Town,” a breathtaking panorama of the point with the incline in the foreground. She is currently working on a Kennywood series that has become even more popular. “Ride With Me on the Carousel” is available in limited edition lithographs.

Each picture is done in rich, vibrant pastels, reflecting Pittsburgh’s many moods. Autumn scenes with moonlight reflecting off glistening, rain-slicked sidewalks, icy skies over snow-laden streets and brilliant , sun-drenched afternoons beneath cottony clouds all show personal, cherished memories of Pittsburgh. The brilliant colors in a carousel or a Christmas tree are captured the the finest detail.

Barnicott personalizes each picture by adding family members and friends. “The tradition started by accident,” Barnicott said. “When I did the Kaufmann’s window, my husband posed while I sketched. In ‘Walking in the Light of the Cathedral’, he is sitting on a bench shielding his face from the rain.”

“Since then, he’s been in every picture. Then one day my oldest daughter asked when she and her sister would be in one, so I added them to a few. Now, someone from my family is in every picture. ‘My Home Town’ is the most difficult place to spot my husband – he’s riding on the incline.” Personal touches abound everywhere.

“Meet Me Under Kaufmann’s Clock, Too!” shows her mother-in-law, who passed away the year Barnicott did the pastel. The trolley car says “Sheraden Elliot”, a tribute to her family’s address.

In “Coasting Through Kennywood”, she chose a modern-day setting, but she replaced the newer paddle boats with the old aluminum rowboats that were there when she was dating her husband, who is now a Methodist minister. One rowboat has the number”22″ painted on it – her husband’s sales number before he left the profession to pursue the ministry.

“Being able to paint the picture and change the boats added a certain romantic touch that appeals to adults who remember the older boats,” Barnicott said. “The advantage of being an artist rather than a photographer is that I can manipulate the scene in small ways. I add certain touches here of there to make a pleasing whole.”

“For instance, quite a few people asked if I would add one of the sweeperettes when I was working on ‘Coasting’. You can see her on the right-hand side in green and white. When I do a Pittsburgh or Kennywood picture, so many people have suggestions about what they feel makes these places special, and I try to use as many of them as I can.”

When asked to appear at Kennywood’s 100th anniversary celebration, Barnicott decided to demonstrate her artistic abilities by doing a pastel portrait of the lead horse from the carousel. Working in deeper, more intense tones with vivid purples and blues, she produced a striking portrait of the “Spirited Pegasus”.

While watching her work, so many people asked about buying a print of the portrait that Barnicott decided to do a series of four carousel animals. Later, “Kennywood’s Black Knight”, “Kennywood’s Lion” and “Kennywood’s Tiger” joined the Pegasus. The set is available in a signed, numbered series limited to 500 prints.

“My friends and family surround me with support and humor me when I’m painting,” she said. “The elderly couple in rowboat 22 are from our church, and they posed in the backyard, sitting on a bench. He held a rake in one hand and a hoe in the other while I sketched them. They told me the neighbors probably thought we were nuts.”

“When I did the carousel painting. I told all my friends to be sure and come, and most of the riders are actual people. If you look carefully, you can watch my daughters grow up over the years right in the artwork. My husband is always there, with a daughter on either side”. In “The Magical Entrance of Kennywood” there’s a family of four being photographed. They’re a family that collects Barnicott’s prints. “They asked if they could be in one of my works, and there they are,” she said. “I’m on the balcony of the penny arcade to the left. I’m not usually in the pictures myself, but I enjoy being in this one.”

“I love capturing all the different wonderful sights of Pittsburgh, and there is so much variety to work with. I have the luxury of choosing particular places that have a special meaning for me, places that hold a place in my heart. The people of this area are so wonderful to me; they share stories with me and tell me how much the pictures mean to them. I enjoy knowing that these places hold a special place in others’ memories, too. It’s a terrific way to make a living.”

Route 6 Artisan Trail Draws Artist to Corry

The Corry Journal , June, 2011
by Stephen Sears

There’s a certain time of evening at Kennywood Park, just when the lights come on, that the sky turns dusky blue and the clouds shimmer with hues stolen from the sun. The same sky has been over Kennywood since its opening in 1898, although with the ground-level park activities, not many people take time to glance upward.

Linda Barnicott did. And while the sky is definitely not the focal point, it helps create the mood for “The Magical Entrance of Kennywood,” the latest and forth in her series of five pastel paintings of the traditional amusement park. The painting captures the scene as park goers emerge from the entrance tunnel. The fudge shop is to the left, the Turnpike to the right and straight ahead is the Old Mill, Kennywood’s most long-lived ride. “I love doing skies,” according to Linda, whose favorite one is in her newest Kennywood painting. “I almost hate to cover it with leaves.”

Linda, who is left-handed, works right to left, top to bottom, to keep from smearing the chalk pastels, which she likes because of their blending qualities. After making a sketch she begins to paint on the colors, starting with the sky. The Green Tree resident uses lighting and intensity to capture the scenes in photo-like color. “I like to paint in such a way that it looks like it’s coming off the paper,” she says.

Before beginning the painting, Linda took several photographs of the area to capture the buildings and rides from all angles as well as the light and shadows. The next step is to add the people—and not just generic ones. Since she has worked primarily as a portrait artist, she brings the park visitors to like by using the proportions and faces of real people. Having places in each of her paintings are husband, the Rev. Tom Barnicott; her daughters Brittany, 11, and Alyssa, 7; family and friends; people who collect her works; and those affiliated with the park. “Magical Entrance” includes members of the Kennywood staff who have helped her with her series, including publicity director Mary Lou Rosemeyer, sales representative Norm Swiech and director of facilities Rich Henry. They are posed gathered at the fudge shop railing, viewing the conceptual sketch of “Magical Entrance.”

The series started in 1995 with “Ride with Me on the Carousel,” followed by “Making Memories at Noah’s Ark” in 1996 and “Coasting through Kennywood” in 1997. The Carousel and Coasting paintings still have some prints left, but the Noah’s Ark edition has sold out. Like others in her series, the limited edition painting will have 500 prints and 50 artist’s proofs. The carousel painting had 750 prints.

To decide in what order to do the Kennywood scenes, she sat down with Ms. Rosenmeyer and the publisher of the series, Denny Oliver of Black Swan Gallery, to brainstorm. Noah’s Ark coincided with the renovations at the ride and “Coasting through Kennywood” was released the year the Racer, Kennywood’s twin coaster was refurbished. Linda’s latest painting was chosen for Kennywood’s 100th birthday because the Old Mill is the oldest ride at the park. Also, the sign on the Turnpike carries a birthday message, which commemorates the park’s centennial. She plans to debut the painting in late June at the Black Swan Gallery in Carnegie.

Linda says it was a toss-up whether to end the series next year with Kiddieland or the Thunderbolt. After meeting members of Association of Coaster Enthusiasts last year, she made the decision. “The Thunderbolt won out. I admire ACE members for being able to ride the coaster; I’m a wimp when it comes to that.” She will include the Potato Patch in the foreground.

A man who’s image she included in her carousel painting told her it was his “favorite ride.” Putting real people in her paintings isn’t always easy. To get the right positions for people rowing boats in the Kennywood lagoon, she posed family friends Mike and Jean Migliozzi outside in lawn chains with their two children. Kristen and Leighann. Linda stuck a rake and broom in Migliozzi’s hands to simulate boat oars. The sight was not any funnier than another couple sitting inside on dining room chairs with the man holding tennis rackets in a similar fashion. She snapped photographs of both families and began preliminary sketches before starting on the actual “Coasting through Kennywood” painting last year.

The nostalgic quality of her paintings appeals to Kennywood fans. Many are given as wedding presents and a number hang on walls in dentist’ offices, perhaps to put patients at ease.

Her obvious affection for Kennywood shows in her work. But she is not a native Pittsburgher who grew to love the park at Kennywood picnics of during childhood visits. Linda grew up in Eddington, Pa., now Bensalem, northeast of Philadelphia. As a child, her artist talent was evident—a “blessing” that allowed her to show people she loved them.

She met her future husband when her high school orchestra visited Bethel Park High School, where he went to school. After initial letter writing they lost touch until two years later, when he contacted her. He proposed to her on their third date—after a day at Kennywood. On their first anniversary, he felt a calling to leave his job as a salesman at AT&T and become a minister. When he finished seminary, they started a family. She became a stay-at-home mom with a portrait art career on the side. Her husband and children have been very supportive and patient with her artistic endeavors.

She eventually began doing hometown sites, including Kaufmann’s, Market Square and the Cathedral of Learning. The customer who purchased the original of her Kaufmann’s painting told her if she ever did the Kennywood carousel, she would buy it. It was an image Linda already had in her mind. “It just kind of jelled,” she says. “Kennywood was real special and the carousel was real special.”

She called WQED’s Rick Sebak, who produced the documentary “Kennywood Memories” and asked for his help about where to start. He referred her to Ms. Rosemeyer, and her series began. She chose to end it after five paintings mostly because collectors only have so much wall space. “Now that I started painting Kennywood, I don’t want to quit,” says Linda. “We’ll see what the future holds.”

She still has two more paintings in a series she started featuring Kennywood’s carousel mounts. She has done “The Spirited Pegasus,” the lead horse, and “Kennywood’s Black Knight.” Linda will finish the series with the lion and tiger, the only two animals that are not horses.

She also did a pen-and-ink conceptual sketch of Kennywood’s centennial midway. Because she was pleased with the result, she is considering a pen-and-ink series of the park. It’s something to contemplate while she demonstrates her talent during the park’s Grand Victorian Days on July 1 through 5.

Her next undertaking is “A Holiday Tradition,” featuring the former downtown Pittsburgh Joseph Horne’s decorated with its famous corner Christmas tree in lights. She is using archival photographs for reference. The painting will be used by the American Cancer Society on its Christmas cards this year.

Perhaps the most special painting she has done is “Meet Me Under the Kaufmann’s Clock, Too,” done to recall her husband’s family’s annual visits to see the windows at Christmas time. She included her in-laws, Jean and Tom Barnicott, and husband, Tom, and sister-in-law Terri as children. She painted the picture after Jean Barnicott was killed in an accident in 1991. As the elder Tom Barnicott recovered for 90 days in Allegheny General Hospital, he could see the steeple of a downtown church, which Linda included in her painting. She also added the 31 Sheridan/Elliott streetcar to honor the neighborhood where her husband’s church, Emanuel United Methodist, is located.

In her small, bright, home studio, she has more than 1,000 pastel chalks and colored pencils, ranging from hard to soft. Her favorites are handmade in France by Sennelier, known in artist circles for their quality – and cost. Noah’s Ark brought them across the ocean to her. “It took until I painted Noah’s Ark until I could afford them. “