[Linda Brandon]

I've dragged my feet about posting my biography here for a long time (years?) because I have such an eclectic art background. I keep hoping to be able to add some impressive European atelier credentials but so far I've been thwarted in this.

I grew up littering my home basement with cartoons, messy art projects and solitary half-baked grand schemes.

I have a degree in radio/tv/filmmaking from the University of Michigan, with an honors concentration in animated films. This was pre-computer and has no practical significance except that I drew endlessly for years. One of the most thrilling moments of my life was the first time I saw one of my cartoons move on the screen. Every so often I come close to this feeling in my current portrait and figurative work, but not often enough.

I also worked as a television reporter and anchorwoman, graduated from NYU Law School, and was for a time a lawyer on Wall Street. None of this has any artsy significance, either. I add this in part to encourage those with little "formal" art training not to be terrorized in this frequently cruel world if your parents didn't have the wherewithal or the inclination to encourage your youthful art passions: in life, much is possible.

Apart from classes at Parsons and the Nassau County Museum of Art, most of my traditional art training has been through art classes and workshops at Scottsdale Artists School and other schools in the Phoenix area. I've been concentrating on portrait and figurative work for the past 12 years. I can't wait to get to work every day. As time and life allows I hope to study intensively with some of my art heros who are still alive and working. I am currently studying as intensively as I can with William Whitaker and I hope I don't embarrass him by saying so.

I recently started teaching locally in the Phoenix area. Some information about this is on my website.

I am very grateful to Cynthia and the Forum for giving me the opportunity to meet and learn from other artists.