Artist, Linda Ann Weber, strikes a sophisticated pose with one of her many contemporary acrylic paintings inspired by her interest in typography, social messaging, fashion, & collage.
Scroll down to see more of her artwork including her winning piece, "Aegean Sea".
Surprisingly, exceptionally gifted Winnetka, IL artist Linda Ann Weber, had never entered an art competition before, but the recent SHADES OF BLUE art contest caught her eye.
Sponsored by Fox Valley ArtBEAT in collaboration with Camelback Gallery (CamelbackGallery.com) based in Arizona, she was thrilled to learn her painting, “Aegean Sea”, was one of four paintings awarded a Gold Award of Excellence in this international competition.
Linda's winning entry into the international SHADES OF BLUE competition: "Aegean Sea" ; 37" x 48", acrylic on paper (unframed); $3500
A total of 51 winning entries from the “Shades of Blue” competition spanned across 11 countries including the USA, UK, Australia, France, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Taiwan and New Zealand. Linda was the only Gold Award winner from Illinois.
As it turns out, Linda was attracted to the contest title because her favorite color palette to work within is shades of blue.
“I grew up near water and am always inspired by nature,” Linda says. “I’ve been influenced by my travels which always took me to large bodies of water – whether it was the Caribbean or Door County. I find painting in blue is a calming color to work with and I’m continually drawn to using it.”
Her 30-year professional art career has included working as an art director in package design and publishing. While working in commercial art by day, she dabbled in creative art projects when off-the-clock. Eventually, serendipity brought abstract painters and their methods into her life inspiring new directions for her creativity.
She defines herself as “more-or-less a self-taught painter.” Hanging around with other artists, sharing techniques, tools, and taking workshops continues to expand her art horizons.
Linda explains her artistic process. “I don’t work from sketches or photos and have no perceived plan when I start working on a new piece. I simply work with the paint using my feelings as my guide. It helps me connect better to my intuition.”
She calls that first paint layer on either paper or canvas her “play stage” where she places down marks guided by her emotions. She freely experiments using different tools for visual effects that are often found in her kitchen. Everything from wooden skewers to rubber scrapers and squeegees have given her work just the right touch.
As she built up the layers in her winning painting, “Aegean Sea”, she suddenly realized it was starting to remind her of Greece even though she did not start out with that intention.
“Everyone gets something different out of viewing abstract art,” Linda says. “My work is a balance between self-expression and intuitive exploration which I use to create an experience for the viewer.”
Two years ago, Linda decided to bring her art to the marketplace more seriously by hiring a publicity agent, contacting art galleries for representation, and seeking other opportunities to give her work broader exposure. And certainly winning a Gold Award of Excellence in an international art competition lines up perfectly with that vision.
Her work has been in several galleries including: Gallery 52 in Rye, New York; Sheldon Fine Art in Naples, Florida, Vivid Art Gallery in Winnetka, IL and The Gallery in Lake Forest, IL.
Learn more about Linda at her website: https://www.lindaannweber.com
See other “Shades of Blue” winners here: Shades of Blue 2021 | Award Exhibition | Camelback Gallery
"Night Shades", 35" x 36"; acrylic on canvas; $3,000
"Time for Dreaming", 40" x 30"; acrylic on canvas; $3,000
"Caribbean Dream", 36" x 36", acrylic on canvas; $3,000
"Hideaway 1", 30" x 40", acrylic on canvas, $3,000
Comments