Congratulations to Linda McCord for earning her place as Finalist in the Boynes Artist Award 8th Edition [Professional Artist Category]!

Who are you?

My aunt was an artist, so I became interested in art through her. I am basically a self-taught artist with very little formal training.

What inspired you to utilize painting as a medium?

I work in multiple mediums. I started out in oil painting, but I learned that the water mediums were what I love doing. I also did all the printmaking mediums for years, and I do nuno felting, pastel, silk fusion, acrylic and transparent watercolor. 

How would you describe your work?

I do several styles of art. I do a realistic style that people have called, abstract realism, and I also do abstracts. 

Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind your finalist work?

The work I entered in Boynes is from a series I did of my mother after she turned 90 years old. I wanted to show there is quality of life after that age.

Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating “funny pages”?

My watercolor technique is derived from a method I used in silk screening. I use resists, and gradually build transparent layers, one color on top of the other, blocking out area after each layer if the image calls for it. I work in transparent layers rather than direct application. And I never use opaque paint. I like the challenge of transparent watercolor.

Can you discuss the "in the 90's" series in more detail?

 I wanted to show there is quality of life after 90 years of age. My mother enjoyed the funny pages, drinking coffee from porcelain cups, she loved babies, her dog, knitting and sewing. I used the things she loved doing in this series, and I also did some paintings of her more somber moments. 

What do you hope to communicate to an audience with your work?

My hope through this series is to communicate quality of life in our senior years, and a reminder of fond memories of our mothers or grandmothers. There are nineteen watercolors in this series, and I think it pretty much portrays my mother's senior years. 

Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?

When I first started painting, people laughed at my work. Art did not come easy for me. My husband said, "Honey, art is obviously not your thing, so why don't you give it up and find another hobby."  Yes, I'm still married to him! This just determined me to try harder. I didn't give up, and it took five years before I was able to frame, sign and sell my first piece of work. I later entered my work into regional, national and international shows and began taking awards.

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

I think my biggest success was in 2022 when I won the gold award at the MiKiHASi Memories international competition for my In the 90's series. It was made as a film which made this exciting for me.  I was asked to narrate it which made it personal. Most people that viewed this told me it brought tears to their eyes.

Can you give us a piece of advice you wish you had known at the start of your career?

I wish I would never have listened to the false rumors about people being hard to paint and that watercolor was the hardest medium. I had been painting in acrylic for twenty years when I tried watercolor, and it was like eating candy. It seemed so natural for me and such a great medium for my figurative work. Once I drew a face I knew where I belonged.

What projects are you working on currently?

For the past year I have been working on abstracts, and I am also finishing a series of acrylics called Car Show. Car Show is all about reflections that are on the cars. The cars are simply vehicles for what is happening in the reflections. The abstracts are a series I have developed from acrylic pourings using a non-oil cell technique. Many of the acrylic pouring I saw were not focused on composition, so that was my new challenge.  

What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?

I'm not sure about a dream project. I work in a series of about twenty pieces, so it's whatever inspires me at the time. Each new series of work I do is a dream project. I need to be excited about it, and it needs to be a new challenge.

As a finalist, do you have any advice for artists who want to submit to awards, competitions, residencies, etc.?

Have a consistent body of work, and only enter your best pieces.

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists, what is your advice?

Take risks and set up new challenges when things become easy. 

To view more of Linda McCord’s work

Website