Linda F. Hawkins
Watercolor Paintings

 "Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life — learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.” – Robert Fulghum

Robert Fulghum’s quote expresses my philosophy on life almost perfectly. But I must add laugh some, love some, give some and pray some. Without these components I could not survive nor make sense of this crazy, complicated and amazing world we live in.

My interest in art began with a box of crayons and was solidified at age 10 when my father gave me a John Nagy artist kit. I have always loved to draw and make things and have kept a sketch book for as long as I can remember. The beauty of the natural world inspires and energizes me. Birds and animals are a favorite subject; however, I am also intrigued by the Caribbean people and their vibrant colors and unique culture. My watercolor works often reflect these elements and are realistic in style.

My fascination with color and ephemera led me to begin working in mixed media. I am a collector of things and these things will often find their way into my artwork. What I love about mixed media is that I can start with a color or a thing from my collection and the work will tell me what it wants to look like. Working this way frees my mind to explore all the “what ifs” as I create. I never really know what I will end up with and am more interested in the process than the actual outcome.

Encaustic is an extension of my mixed media work. I love working in the layers of colored wax in a wabi-sabi way. With Encaustic I can include my ephemera, oil sticks and play with fire. No matter which medium I am working with, the time I spend creating and teaching art is the happiest time of my day.

I create because I must. It is my firm belief that art, in all its formats, is a form of meditation and worship that relieves stress and builds confidence in those who create it. It is also very important to me to share what have learned throughout my artistic journey, so I teach to help others discover the joy of creating art.

This is my gift and to allow it to sit fallow would be an affront to the God who created me and gave me the talent, desire and ability to be creative. There are many stories to tell and I will do them through my art work. While I have held this belief in my heart all of my life, I have only just begun to listen to the small voice that asks me to come to the edge and follow the path I had always wanted to take.