Linda Edmonson

I appreciate the opportunities I\'ve had to receive an education, but although I have two degrees in Art, I have always considered myself a self taught artist. There is no substitute for will, perseverance, tenacity and getting so absorbed into your work that by the end of the day you had forgotten to eat. I reminisce about the first time I stood before a 350 year old Rembrandt painting. It was profound; I will never forget the feeling of awe that swept over me. That very passion is inside of me when I paint; it\'s the pursuit to create something beautiful to draw the viewer in and capture their imagination and awe. That pursuit is never ending for me. My work has been described by some as American Gothic. I have identified my work as being associated with the Contemporary Realist Movement. I enjoy the American scene paintings that convey romanticism of everyday American life. My paintings tell a story and my motivation is to draw the viewer into that story. Finding a vintage photograph that moves me, then discovering a name and date on the back of that photo is an exciting discovery. One of my passions is working on family history, so finding that mysterious name scribbled on the back of a vintage photo is not only intriguing, but it challenges me to find that person\'s history; it adds to the rich story I\'m about to tell in my painting. This story or history is often attached to the