Linda Ravenscroft

Background & History

I was born in Cheshire and have always drawn and painted since I can remember. My mother once told me that when I was two years old I tried to paint with my glass of milk, but luckily she rescued it in time. I had a wonderful childhood enjoying the beautiful Cheshire countryside. My parents taught me about wildlife and nature and we spent many happy hours looking for faeries and Indians in the woods. My mother wrote poetry and my father told me many strange tales how the leopard got his spots and the robin his red breast; tales from history, the plight of the North American Indians, the Incas and the Aztecs, some of which he would make up by himself. My imagination would run wild. I wasnt a very happy child in my early years at school as I was a plain Jane and was often picked upon. As a result of this I withdrew into myself and often sat and daydreamed during class, only coming to life when we did painting and crafts. I always carried a sketchbook and drew pictures of anything and everything, but mostly I would make up stories and draw them. In the stories I was the princess I could be beautiful, I could be strong and I could kill the dragon if I wished. It was a wonderful way to escape.

When I went on to High School things improved and I returned to reality. I did well at school and after my O-levels in 1998 I went to the London Road School of Art. It was a dream come true as I could paint and draw all day long. I attended this heavenly place for only 12 months after obtaining an A-level in Fine Art. Unfortunately due to personal reasons I had to give up my art education.

I continued to paint in my spare time, selling the occasional painting to family and friends. I met John, my husband to be, in 1983 and he encouraged me to sell my paintings through local galleries, often physically pushing me and my work through the doors of these hallowed places. During this time I was working full-time as a receptionist for a local firm. Luckily my employer allowed me to sketch during office hours as long as it didnt affect my work he even bought some of my paintings.

In 1993 my daughter Vivien was born, sadly she was born with a serious hip defect and required many months of hospital treatment and operations. I had to give up my plan to return to work so that I could be with her during this time. Money at this time was short and I knew that I had to make a living in some way. So I began to paint from home and started selling my work through local craft fairs. I later rented a room at the Arts and Antique Centre in Knutsford. I made many friends here, whom still enquire after my work. It was during this time that I realised that I needed a much wider audience to see my work and so plucked up the courage to show my work to art publishers Washington Green and the rest they say is history&. the best I hope is yet to come.

Ideas & Inspirations

My inspiration comes from many sources. I rely mostly on my dreams and inner feelings as I have done since I was a child, although now as an adult I have more experiences of the world. Influences from other artists of the past and present such as the intricate designs of William Morris and other artists of this time; and the beautiful work of Brian Froud a modern day master of fantasy and the realm of the faeries. My love of nature instilled within me from an early age by my parents has always been an inspiration, together with tales of myths and legends and the mysteries of the supernatural and the unexplained.

The idea of faerie folk or earth spirits, call them what you like, dates back as far as time itself. They represent the natural world in which we live and whether you believe it or not they have a place in our modern day society. My paintings all have messages within them. They are personal and sometimes quite deep and difficult to explain in words, so I try to express them in the only way that I can. Most of the images are serine and benign, although we all have a darker, more passionate, side. After all we are only human!

From Palette to Picture I often begin with an image from a dream or something which is playing on my mind at the time. I sit and sketch out rough ideas, looking through my other sketches and reference material which I collect from nature walks; items like leaves, shells and stones. These objects can sometimes be an inspiration for a painting on their own. Once I have decided what I am going to paint I work on the sketch until I am happy with it and then transfer to my watercolour paper. I like to approach my images in a way that the artists from the art nouveau period might have done and the composition, design and effect of the painting is very important to me. I use Arches hot pressed watercolour paper. I love the smoothness of the surface; although it can be a little unforgiving if you make a mistake. I often have so many ideas that I can have several paintings on the go at any one time. My favourite medium is watercolour although I also work with ink and watercolour together. With watercolour you can achieve so many effects from luminous soft washes to deep rich colours; I love the way it bleeds into another colour creating some lovely surreal effects. Once I have done my pencil drawing I begin with a very pale wash and then remove any unwanted pencil lines. After this I apply my background wash after which I begin to add colour to the areas that require more depth, although you have to be careful and know when to stop, finally adding any small details until I am happy with painting.

A Day in The Life

After taking my daughter, Vivien, to school, I return home and have a large cup of tea before beginning my days work. My studio is only a few feet from my home, which is a great advantage. It was lovingly built for me by my husband and father, and is a place where I feel very comfortable and happy. It overlooks my garden and the small wood just next to our home. My head is always full of ideas and I sometimes sit and sketch them out, or I will continue with one of the pieces of work which I am currently working on.

My husband usually reminds me to have some lunch, otherwise I would probably work right through. When my daughter returns home from school I have a break and spend some time with her before preparing our evening meal. At about 9pm, when Vivien is settled into bed, I return to work, often listening to an eclectic mix of inspirational music as I do so. I tend to work through to the early hours as I am a bit of a night owl, and sometimes I become so engrossed in my fantasy world that I work right through until dawn.

Mystic Garden
Giclee
Dimensions (w x h):
21" x 15.5"

The Emerald Heart
Giclee
Dimensions (w x h):
14" x 24"

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