Artist Statement -
"My goal as an artist is to communicate the uncommon beauty found in nature. I believe the best way to convey the authentic environment and the atmosphere of a moment in a painting is to paint it from life. I work primarily in oils. I prefer to paint plein air when possible but also work in the studio from plein air studies and sketches and photograph references. Though challenged and inspired by any environment, my focus has been the Florida environment that I grew up with and which continues to be my primary source of material and inspiration."
Linda Apriletti Biography -
Miami Springs native Linda Apriletti has always been interested in nature and art. She spent much of her time outdoors as a child catching lizards and butterflies and says “I was always drawing birds with pencils.” She remembers fondly family vacations in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains and hiking with her dad. It seems a natural evolution that as an adult she should meld her interests in art and nature to embark on a career as an award-winning plein air landscape painter.
Although Linda followed a traditional education through college, obtaining degrees in Accounting and Taxation, she didn’t forget her love of art and began making pastel drawings of landscapes and animals after graduation. Pastels eventually gave way to acrylics and then finally oils, her preferred medium today. She painted in her spare time while working as an accountant and took painting workshops on her vacations. A workshop with Jay Moore in Rocky Mountain National Park proved pivotal in her artistic development in that it was there she discovered her passion for plein air painting. She continued studying painting outdoors on her own while supplementing that experience with workshops from such notables as Joseph McGurl, Matt Smith, and Skip Whitcomb.
Linda launched her full-time painting career in 2011 and uses her studio in Miami Springs as a base from which to focus on Florida landscapes, in particular the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp. She says painting outside is critical to helping her observe and understand patterns in nature, including seasonal differences in water level, how sky and general atmosphere change with season, and when various plants and animals appear in the landscapes she paints. Linda is particularly devoted to palms, harboring more than 25 species in her yard and featuring them prominently in paintings. She loves to emphasize palms’ individual characteristics rather than creating “idealized” versions, especially when painting ones growing in the wild. Although Florida is Linda’s focus, she regularly paints in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Maine and Martha’s Vineyard and is enjoying an increasing public demand for that work as well. People find peace in her paintings and often remark how they feel they can just walk into one.
Exhibits
Linda Apriletti’s solo exhibits include Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Park, Museum of the Everglades and Biscayne Nature Center. Group exhibits include national shows sponsored by Paint the Parks, Oil Painters of America, Art Renewal Center and Salon International. She is a member of Oil Painters of America and National Oil & Acrylic Painters' Society. Linda was Artist in Residence at Big Cypress National Preserve in 2012.
Representation
Argosy Gallery, Bar Harbor, Maine
Carlton Gallery, Banner Elk, North Carolina
Isabel, Fine Home Accessories, South Miami, FL
Our Place in Paradise Gallery, Tavernier, FL
