| 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, New Jersey
• California Gourd Society
• San Diego North County Fallbrook Gourd Patch
• Southern California Gourd Artists
• Art Center at Fallbrook
• Misti Washington Gourd & Basket Guild
• Quail Botanical Gardens, Encinitas, CA
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