UK artist Lynda Minter delights in painting the “hidden gems” of London and the surrounding countryside. Her frequent walks (and the occasional cycling trip) along along the River Thames offers her unlimited inspiration, from scenes of flurried activity at constructions sites to moments of sublime peace and tranquility.
Lynda works on paper and canvas in a variety of media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel. And yet, no matter what medium she uses, her style is spontaneous, energetic, and colorful – celebrating the expressive, ever-changing city that is London.
Cranes by Oxo Tower, above, is a perfect example of her lively, dynamic brushstrokes and the vibrant hues her paintings are known for. In particular, I love how she’s depicted a massive crane with (primarily) two diagonal strokes cutting their way across the canvas.
The city itself fades into the mist beyond this behemoth of construction, lending an air of importance to what’s happening RIGHT NOW, directly in front of our eyes.
In this next piece, entitled The Sea at Stackpole, Lynda shifts direction completely, from man-made wonders to the natural beauty of the ocean shore—painted, of course, in a dazzling array of colors, with green forests cut by swaths of orange and yellow fields, dark jagged tree lines, and pops of red peeking out from behind brooding hills.
Lynda paints with whatever tools she finds most useful at the moment—brushes, fingers, rags—resulting in complex layers of varying texture that are absolutely stunning. (And of course, that increase in texture towards the foreground is what really gives The Sea at Stackpole a tremendous amount of visual depth, as well.)
Last but not least, Battersea Power Station and Bridge is another glorious celebration of industry and development. Orange cranes and pink-white towers rise above the choppy water, reaching ever higher into the foggy London sky above.
For more of Lynda’s fantastic paintings and sketches, please take a minute to visit her portfolio website at lyndaminter.com.
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