Linda Israel

Raised in New York and Aspen, Colorado, Linda spent her childhood visiting the quaint and weathered countryside of New England and immersed in the vast, rugged wilderness of the West. She benefited from a multi-cultural background (American father and Swedish mother) rooted in appreciation for the arts.

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About Linda Israel

Raised in New York and Aspen, Colorado, Linda spent her childhood visiting the quaint and weathered countryside of New England and immersed in the vast, rugged wilderness of the West. She benefited from a multi-cultural background (American father and Swedish mother) rooted in appreciation for the arts. Linda’s innate sense of colors and shapes led her to study painting at the University of Colorado-Boulder before returning to New York to study interior design. Linda began her design career in... Read More

New York as decorating editor for House Beautiful magazine and continued to work as an Interior Designer in New York, Seattle, and Denver for the next 20 years. Throughout her career, she was often commissioned by clients to paint murals. And when living in cities, Linda felt compelled to paint the “animals she couldn’t have in the city”. While in Washington, Linda spent 10 years either living on or volunteering on farms. Each day spent with animals resulted in a deeper affinity and appreciation for their innate beauty and innocence. Linda’s passion for animals eventually led her to cofound the Olympic Wildlife Rescue Center in Olympia, Washington. Linda’s first memories are centered around her passion and love for animals. Feeling spiritually connected to the animals that come into her life, she has come to realize that being in nature and peacefully observing animals is what makes her feel most connected to herself and the planet. Inspired to bring their souls alive on canvas, Linda paints animals up close with bold strokes and bright colors from a soulful place within herself. As a reminder to honor her free spirit and wild sense of color, she often recalls one of her favorite quotes, “Art is not a photo of life, but a feeling of life!” Shortly after deciding to focus solely on her painting 6 years ago, Linda participated in her first art show. To her surprise, all of her paintings sold that evening. Her career as an artist has evolved effortlessly ever since. Linda is now featured in various galleries in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming and collected internationally in Germany, Australia, Turkey, Czech Republic, and Canada. Linda lives at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park in Grand Lake, Colorado with her husband Greg, and her dog Tura Lu (see pet portraits). They share 4 children and 4 grandchildren.

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