Lynda Baxter Biography

Nature is the unending source of my inspiration!

In her early 20's Lynda Baxter 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.

In 1986, with two small children to raise, Lynda had less and less time to devote to painting and finally stopped all together, but the passion she had never left her. While working as a production accountant in Calgary, she started working on the side in the new world of Internet marketing. She learned skills in seo marketing, website development, project management and content writing. In 1999 she formed her own company, Art In Canada Inc.

Working with hundreds of artists was (and still is) very fulfilling. Online marketing for other artists became her new niche market. She missed painting, but found she had very little extra time to explore her passion.

Fast forward over three decades, Lynda is making the time to paint! You might wonder why now after all these years? She said, “creative people need to create. It’s not enough to think about it and wish you had time…you have to make it a priority and ‘just do it’.

“My mom had a set of pastels in her basement, from around 1950, she thought. She gave them to me and I went home and tried them. I was hooked! I’ve since updated and added to my soft pastel supply, and am now painting daily and learning from the pros online. This is such a great day and age with all the technology we have available to learn from!

If God gives you a talent, you simply must use it! No more excuses from this girl!”

Lynda Baxter is an international artist and Master Pastelist residing in Alberta, Canada.

 

 

I started tinkering with Pastels June 2, 2020...

when my mom gave me her pastels from 1950!

"As I learn pastels, and for that matter, to paint again in general after over 30 years of NOT doing art, I'm figuring out, they aren't going to be perfect works of art that I can frame. They are going to be stepping stones.

Practicing every day, doing something, anything... is going to move me up in my end results, and with my creativity. I love experimenting now. What if I do this? It's only paper. It matters less and less to me know what others think. If I Iike it or I don't like it, I ask, 'am I closer now to getting better at art than I was yesterday?' The answer always has to be yes... 

I think we're all born with desire to do something, but that doesn't automatically make us great at it. As with anything in life, if you want it bad enough, you will nurture the desire, you will practise, you will fail, you will put on your big girl panties and try again.. and again.

I'm currently being kind to myself as I grow. So should we all!!"

~Lynda Baxter

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.