Rural Art in Soft Pastel by Artist Lynda Baxter
It became evident to me the I should paint RURAL ART after living in rural Alberta for more than two decades! Highland cow paintings, rooster and chicken paintings and of course the rural landscape that surrounds us!
Rural Art by Lynda Baxter in Soft Pastels
Rural art by Lynda Baxter.
Lynda is inspired by her surroundings! She paints Alberta's landscape and farm animals using the neighbouring livestock as her never-ending source of inspiration!
In her early 20's she began to paint in watercolours, while living in the awe inspiring area of Swan Hills in Northern Alberta. She would travel the cut lines and back roads taking source pictures to paint. The landscape provided her with inspiration for the hills and trees in the areas, as well as abandoned vehicles and old barns which were also high on her list to paint. She started to paint weekly with the well known and loved, Gerry Kruse from Barrhead Alberta, trying to learn her famous painting style of the Swan Hills scenery. She continued to take lessons with the very talented Sharon Lynn Williams who also lived there in the early 1980's.
Painting in watercolour was exciting! The techniques she learned and the love of the scenery captured her heart. She'd have solo shows in the local library and sell Swan Hill scenes to those leaving town or upon their retirement. Old, rusty abandoned trucks and decrepit falling down wooden structures, are other subjects she enjoys to paint. When Sharon moved to Calgary, Lynda took over teaching small groups in watercolour with the continuing education program.
Gallery
What can I say! Soft pastels are my new love. The vibrant colours, the silky smooth way they go on the paper, oh, and the choices of paper you can get! Tinted, sanded with different grits, and of course, I can use my watercolours with clear gesso and make my own! I'm surrounded by RURAL everything! I wouldn't have it any other way. I see beauty everywhere I go and in everything little thing. I'm constantly striving to challenge myself and am enjoying all of the people I meet along my way who invite me into their way of life so I can take zillions of reference photos! I'm utterly grateful for them, and all the cow, rooster, chicken, pig, and sheep facts they teach me while I'm there. I'm feeling truly blessed.
When we moved to central Alberta, I was completely intrigued by the local moose! I still am. I spent countless hours driving back roads trying to spot them. The perfect bull moose. Antlers dripping with water from the many sloughs we have, and of course back lite!! All I ever found were cows. I feel in love with them. They replaced my moose habit in a heartbeat. When I discovered I had neighbours with Highland cows, I suddenly had a new passion, subject and I was in for a whole new learning curve!!
"The eye should not be lead to where there is nothing to see." ~ Robert Henry
“If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.”
– Edward Hopper
“Creativity takes courage.”
– Henri Matisse
“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent van Gogh
“The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration.”
– Claude Monet
