Artistry
Pandora's Imagination
A home for eclectic artistry
This is our area to feature a single artist each month. It will include an interview, where you can find them, their own history and their work. I'm really excited to be presenting this to our readers.
I think for Summer Time I need to officially state my intense love for the Fae. Really and truly, images of them, their work, every interpretation of them, and with our feature artist this month, once again, I have found an incredible talent in Linda Biggs.
Wait until you get a glimpse at her work. The attention to detail. The expressions, not to mention all that can BE done with her work. Take your time to get to know her Fae, and maybe one will speak to you enough to visit her web site, and bring her home. The Fae that is, not Linda. I already asked. LOL.
Pandora's Imagination is proud to present; LINDA BIGGS:
Pandora's Fjord
Hello Linda! First let me introduce you to our readers here at
Pandora's Imagination. Welcome! As I peruse through your work, I am so incredibly impressed by the colors and details. What was it that first
spoke to you, to create? What made you want to paint above anything else?
Linda: Hi there Kerry and everyone at Pandora's Imagination. Well my work began as just a way to express myself as a child. I had difficulty reading and fitting in. Funny I had put my coloring away for many years and in 1999 decided it was time to play again. A few months ago we had an elementary school reunion and all my childhood friends remembered that I was quiet the good artist as a small child. I didnt recall any of the stories they told.
Mark Brown
P.I.: Why choose water colors to create such brilliant pieces for us to look at? Have you tried other mediums?
Linda: First let me say - YES I have tried many other mediums - oils, tempera, acylic, colored pencil etc... but fell in love with watercolors in high school. My art instructor his name is James Drake Iams - and he is a perfectionist with watercolors. His clean and precise discipline hooked we 30 some years ago. ( If you will look him up he creates nautical paintings and they are unbelievable) Watercolors are supposed to be a difficult medium however I find them relaxing.
Funny story - when I first started this journey, as a watercolorist I was
so excited and even applied to the Baltimore Watercolor Society. They
quickly denied my entry. "The Society" told me I must learn the proper use of watercolors before they would consider me. I think they just didn't like my Sassy Sprites!
Love Me
P.I. Have you ever dreamed about your pieces, or had a dream where a piece first spoke to you to be let "out" so to speak?
Linda: Yes - all my painting are actually a scene in my life. Therefore they either actually occurred or at least played out in my mind.
Medicine Woman
P.I. What first spoke to your heart to create fairies? Why Fairies?
( I keep trying to choose a favorite and it is so hard, but this is in the top two as my favorite :) )
Linda: I do believe! And I believe I have had a Sprite who helps me along my journey. The little creature shows up often in my paintings ( and in my mind). ( Long ago - and many therapist back I was told it was just my subconsciousness or it was brain trying to be responsible. They all had legit reason of why this little green creature would talk or guide me..
However - I know its my little Pixie Guide.
P.I.
I believe as well and agree with your accessment of it without doubt.
All one needs to do is look at your work and know you have an inside "sight" which is coming from somewhere right?
I noticed on your web site bio, which, for our readers can be found here, http://lindabiggs.com/artistbio.html , that you have been interviewed on T.V. by your local morning show. How did that first come about?
Linda:
Persistence! I was in advertising for 20 years prior to this gig and I understand what it takes to get noticed. Regardless of your work - it
takes a thick skinned individual to do the marketing. And in my mind no one will market you better than yourself. What do you have to loose right!
Koko Komani Spirit
P.I. Was it scary to be on T.V.? Did you get to show some of your pieces? Tell us what that was like.
Linda: Scary is putting it mildly - I was borderline SICK - with nerves. It was live morning news time in Baltimore that means most of the city was watching the news while getting ready for work. My biggest fear, I would slip and swear on live TV. Yes I did get to show case my work - and had 7 minutes to much talk about whatever I wanted. ( And WJZ channel 13 has befriended me and, had me on the morning show 5 times since then - its been AWESOME! ) Don & Marty I LOVE you guys!
Organic Panic
P.I. I also read that you are a Cherokee. Have the customs of your heritage ever played any kind of roll in your work? Does it's folklore have a place for fairies or did the fairies speak to you from a different place inside you?
Linda: This one is a difficult question - see my parents and grandparents grew up in a time where they hid that they were Native American. They changed there family name to "WASP" last name, they moved a lot and since births were usually in the family home - there are NO real records. My Grandmother - Nanny, my mother's mother - she denied her heritage almost until the day she passed away at age 95. I was her favorite and I tried so often to get some stories out of her - but she refused to talk about her younger years. I think there are lots of BONES in her old closets, she just didn't want to tell me.
So on that note - I have painted a few "Native" pieces all in remembrance of my grandmother - she is the one who was 100% Cherokee and truly a wild unique woman.
Tiny Fairy Land
P.I. Have you ever been out and about in the world and seen one of your pieces in an unexpected place or way?
Linda: Yes I have and its always humbling. It actually gets my children very excited - they are usually like " MOM, tell them its YOU... and see if they want you to sign it" so with a little awkwardness I usually introduce myself. Its always fun when we see my line of Munro
statues in fine gift shoppes. So yes it is always exciting - no matter
where we see it.
Lithia
P.I. Do you think your fairies could be characters for/in a movie? Have you ever written anything that might go with a particular work/fairy?
Linda: How cool would that be to see them come to life as a real character. However - many of my "Girlies" are quite sassy - so it would be a spicy movie. I really have more fun painting the "Pin-Up style Hoochie Girls". My altar ego is Blaise - so many times i think its just me coming to life and not worrying about what the neighbors might say.
Magic Moonstone
(the other one that is my favorite lol)
P.I. On your site I also saw you wearing a set of gorgeous green fairy
wings. Do you create them?
Linda: AHHHH Our wings....how funny. Most women collect and have a fetish for shoes. At our house its all about the wings. Most of our wings are the beautiful creations of Lynne Jones - she make awesome art wings. we have about 13 or 14 different pair.Most women collect shoes - Humm, I collect wings, you can never have too many, right!
What did I tell you? Are these images not amazing! Please find more about Linda Biggs and her art work at her site. It will so be worth the look!
Please find Linda here: http://www.lindabiggs.com
Linda has a book written about her work... Unfortunately for us here, most of the cover is black LOL. So I had to add a bit of background to help it show up. Read more below...
And I quote from her web site:
Enter the world of an artist with Linda Biggs!
This is a book built around a journey, or for some; a spiritual pilgrimage towards a dream of living a creative life. Follow along as writer Emerson Probst, a seeker himself, joins up with fantasy artist Linda Biggs to ask her about her life and what it takes to break away. The two meet in each other’s studios, sharing thoughts over coffee as the seasons change outside the window behind them. The writer is introduced to Linda’s beautiful, seductive fairies—each one a part of Linda and each one with a secret we can only guess at. We come away from this book inspired to not only take a chance in life and create, but also to seek out those friendships that will last a lifetime.
The book " Her Rainbow World" is 48 pages of beautiful words and Images, it is also FSC certified - recycled paper, lets keep the Fairy World GREEN. The book is for a mature viewer and has a parental disclaimer on the back cover.
For more information on "Her Rainbow World", go to http://www.wix.com/emerson1/biggs/
