By Matthew Simpson
Linda English is a local Yarraville artist and has lived in the same house since 1986. She’s been involved with the Yarraville Community Garden for over ten years and loves eating out at Cafe Terroni and seeing films at the Sun Theatre.
Linda has loved art for as long as she can remember. An early childhood memory is getting to choose one Derwent coloured pencil a week until she eventually had the set of 72 pencils. Linda loved drawing and was often caught in her math or science class drawing instead of doing what she was supposed to.
After high school Linda studied graphic design at Swinburne Institute of Technology and then Finished Art at Prahran Institute of Technology, leading to jobs in advertising and publishing.
Linda has worked as an Art assistant for Erasmus Primary School and Scotch College. She also holds private Art lessons. She believes anyone can learn to draw competently. They just need the right lessons, patience and practice. It’s all about understanding what you are seeing. Some of her students have said that after learning to draw, they now look at the world differently.
Her aim is to represent as closely as possible what she sees. The beauty is in the detail. She hopes that in her art she can convey the beauty in simple things. She feels that to get an accurate representation of her subject matter she needs to be fully in the present to observe what is truly there. This act of being present brings with it a rise of joy.
Linda is part of an art group that meets regularly in the west to draw and paint together; Still life and Plein air, when the weather is fine.
Linda will be having a solo exhibition of her work at One Star Gallery 303 Victoria Street West Melbourne from the 18th to the 21st January 2024. All welcome.
