| About The Artist |
Linda Joan Stryker
A Little About The Artist. . .
A lifelong appreciation of the wonders and beauty of nature began
an ever-changing interest in various art forms for Linda Stryker.
Having spent many summers with her aunt and uncle at their New
Jersey shore beach house, Linda marveled at the beautiful
designs and textures found on seashells and driftwood scattered
on the beach. Her Aunt, formerly an art teacher, was her artistic
mentor and inspiration.
Beginning in her early teens, Linda’s passion for color and design
created two artistic interests in different mediums. She designed
and sewed her own clothing. She found great joy in locating
different and unusual fabrics and then piecing non-related
patterns together to create a totally different look. During this
same time period, Linda also enjoyed painting geometric designs
on canvas and later began creating collages cut from different
shapes of paper.
A native of northern New Jersey, Linda and her husband, Charlie,
relocated to Southern California in 1994. It was here that she
discovered an intriguing art form, practically unknown on the East
Coast, which would bring together her artistic interests and skills.
The canvas this time for her creative output was a hard-shell
gourd. Simple and beautiful in its natural state, Linda envisioned
endless possibilities in working with this interesting gift from nature.
Linda enrolled in class after class focusing on various gourd-art
techniques in order to turn these wonders of nature into exquisite
art forms. Her belief is that by allowing the gourd to dictate the
direction in which it should be taken produces the best outcome.
By respecting the
size, shape, and natural markings of a gourd, the techniques and
enhancements used on the gourd further its beauty.
Techniques and enhancements she frequently uses include
dramatic design cuts, pine-needle edging, hinges, and bead
inserts. As an avid world traveler, she delights in acquiring beads
and unusual objects to be used as handles for her creations. Not
only is an individual purchasing a fine piece of Californian art
work, but often acquiring a jewel treasure from another country.
Linda’s works have sold in prestigious galleries on both coasts.
From the past through to the present, Linda’s appreciation of
nature inspires her creative art form, which continues to be
original and imaginative.
Education and Memberships:
• B.S. Degree in Education, Montclair State University,
Montclair, New Jersey
• California Gourd Society
• San Diego Gourd Patch
• Southern California Gourd Artists
• Art Center at Fallbrook
• Misti Washington Gourd & Basket Guild
• San Diego Botanical Gardens, Encinitas, CA
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