Artist Statement

Whatever is in front of me that grabs my attention inspires my art. It is through the process of drawing or painting and eye-hand coordination that I can ‘feel’ the surfaces and edges through all my senses. It is time to be still, a meditation, often a quick impression, or at other times, a slow steady study, a recording. Colour relationships and the preciousness of the natural world; people in their own environment; dwelling places and wide open spaces influenced by the weather are among my favourite inspirations. But even a sink in the corner of a hospital waiting room or a car in the middle of a parking lot can be a source! Art is a way of seeing for both me and my viewers.

Artist Bio

Linda Ross Gallagher, SCA, became an Elected Member of the Society of Canadian Artists in 2024.

She began her artwork at the age of eight in the Saguenay Region of Quebec. She earned her BFA 50 years ago at Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, and subsequently moved about every two years across the continent from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific and several places in between – finally settling in the Greater Toronto Area from the '90s to present. Her experiences are as varied as her painting subjects. Rooted deeply in nature, her art is a record of her environments, people, and places, with the aim of truly seeing and feeling deeply and inspiring others to do the same through viewing her art or partaking in her painting classes. She is a founding member of Norval Studios & Gallery in Norval, Ontario, and is currently involved with the Oakville Art Society, Fine Arts Society of Milton, and teaching watercolour classes and workshops at the Credit Valley Artisans Cottage in Georgetown.

Working alongside Western landscape painters in the '90s in Calgary at the Leighton Foundation, or in Grand Prairie, Alberta and Emma Lake, Saskatchewan, fostered in her a deep passion for plein air painting, which is the foundation of her work today.

“Colours develop before my eyes and make their way into my painting. It is my desire to inspire viewers to see, hear, feel, taste, touch, to connect deeply to the healing of nature, to the joy of special moments, the awesomeness of places, people, and everyday things, or to the making of art itself.”

To see more of Linda’s paintings, please visit her Instagram, Facebook or Website.