Featured Artist Lynda Sauls

Artist Lynda Sauls presents a heartfelt collection of paintings that celebrate nature, life and diversity. See more of her portfolio by visiting her website.

 

 

Diversity in nature, people, and our interconnectedness are what inspires my work, along with my faith that all life has been created by God. I have always found solitude and joy in observing, sketching, and painting.

 

 

My artistic desires were not encouraged as a viable career. Lacking confidence and support, I focused on other means of income. The desire to create and connect with others therefore displayed itself in forms of gifts for the holidays, murals for homes and businesses while working jobs as a secretary, bookkeeper, or office manager.

 

 

Artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, Gauguin, and Van Gogh inspired me with their spirit to question and move against the times and expectations of others with courage, boldness, and sacrifice. Their examples kept alive the hope and desire to someday pursue my work. In my fifties, I abandoned the viable career myth and embraced painting fully.

 

 

All my years of not valuing myself as an artist has shown up in my work, whether it is making things larger than life or zooming in. I have worked in multiple mediums, but prefer oils and encaustic paints. The works I share here are done in oils and oil/cold wax.

 

 

I love painting plants two to five times their size. It is so easy to walk by the colors, details, and the silent beauty they display. Their ability to endure, bloom and multiply can be taken for granted as we pursue more valued and lucrative means. Yet there is power held in seeds (small beginnings), planted in the dark soil (developed in the unseen), enduring drought, monsoon rains and extreme sun (tried by failures, perseverance, and successes).

 

 

They hold many valuable lessons for life. I find them to be treasures that titillate my senses and nourish my soul emotionally and physically. They also play a crucial part in keeping the planet healthy and working.

 

 

Covid came and so did the beginning of my series One Heartbeat. As a child I was shy and was constantly told to look at the person I was talking with. Diversity of cultures, races and beliefs didn’t seem prevalent to me as a child. As an adult, I moved to South Florida, a state fueled by tourism, and everything changed. As I mastered eye contact, I sense the interconnectedness we all have as humans which has dispelled the awkwardness that comes from the language barriers and cultural differences.

 

 

These works keep me connected with the humanity of others. I see stories in their eyes of struggles, desires, and adversities. These help insulate me from hatred and anchor my soul to compassion and mercy. I’m also reminded that we all have a unique lot in life.

 

 

Each brush stroke stirs my awareness to celebrate our similarities and respect our differences, allowing my soul to thrive in harmony. “We are all fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14

 

 

Painting allows me to express the incalculable value around and within us all.

 

Lynda Sauls invites you to follow her on Instagram.

 

 

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