Linda Lesperance
Linda Lesperance captures the beauty and dignity of the human figure in her visual narratives of life in the South. She began her career in New York City as a portraitist and was selected by the prestigious, and then all-male, Salmagundi Club for an award in this subject. After pursuing journalism and public relations in the East, she moved to New Orleans to reconnect with oil painting on a full-time basis. Genre painting is her forte; and she is inspired by the creative ferment of this unique city, New Orleans. Her color palette utilizes a wide range, from saturated color to pale pastels, which define the old patina of the historic French Quarter. My paintings are always about people and places so they are by default representational. I am a people-watcher. I love to observe and analyze humans and imagine what they are thinking. For many years I only did portraits, hundreds and hundreds of them before making the jump to painting scenes on canvas. This training gave me the insight to see body posture, head carriage, facial expression, movement and intent. I like to observe people’s interactions with each other and try to tell their stories. I’ve come to believe that is my job, one I enjoy and one that compels me to share with others. I don’t like to be squeezed into any art categories. I did not study with masters and I don’t have lists of workshops and mentors.
