Ocean Wave

Linda Bruce likes to paint the exuberance found harum scarum in the natural world. Tropical fish have obvious bounty in colour, movement and variety. Parrot fish, throughout their lives, change from one insanely coloured costume to another, sometimes even changing sex. Poisonous frogs seem well pleased with their loud succulent markings. Dentrobates Scarletti challenges Dentrobates Lehmanni for ‘best in show’. Snakes have more complex rhythms with scaly treacherous deceptions - diamonds, oblongs and chevvrons repeat into writhing patterns of menace. Boas and pythons vie for discreet camouflage. The anaconda slips slides and away, plunging dark blotches, robust zithers underwater. The study and painting of shells rewards well. Conches, murex, cones, nautilus and bonnets to name a few, can be grouped, but each one will minutely differ from its fellow. Each Rose Brandes Murex with exploding fronds, individual and never a copy.

Linda says: "I write on my paintings. Sometimes an interesting scientific fact, a leading question, a misquoted poem, a dance routine… whatever comes to mind, my mind, to enhance the intelligence of the work. I want to open others' eyes to look see, see the delights within living creatures, bright and beautiful."

After graduating from the Royal Collage of Art, Linda freelanced as a printed textile designer. A decade later she bought David Hockney’s old studio. The light is fantastic and helps her produce around 60 designs each year. Some of her artwork for Osborne & Little (China collection) languishes in the vaults of the Victoria & Albert museum. Patterns she sold decades ago are still in production - one of which she recently spotted in House & Garden, which had been done for Laura Ashley in the 80’s. Although she is so pleased to her hand-painted designs in glossy magazines, used in adverts (Thibaut, Jane Churchill, Scalamandre, et al), it is at home painting that still pleases her best.

"A wonderful new realm of playful renderings. The intense colour and trippy rhythms, quick but closely observed specimens and the odd scatter of lovely comical calligraphy." Scott Bacon