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Judy Lalingo, Linda Rossin and Mary Serfass with our unique centerpiece, Harmony, that was created as an artistic endeavor by the three of us where each contributed, in their own medium and style, to the making of this singular painting. As we have never collaborated in this way before, we are extremely proud of our accomplishment and beyond excited that it sold the afternoon of the opening!

Between us, we created nearly 50 pieces of art consisting of florals, landscapes, avian, wild and domestic cats, dogs, horses and other animals in large, mid and diminutive-sized works in a variety of mediums. Three Part Harmony will remain ONLINE until the close of the show, December 23, 2017.

The 84th MPSGS Annual International Miniature Fine Art Exhibition is currently on display at the Strathmore Mansion in North Bethesda, MD, where you can enjoy over 800 tiny works of magnificent perfection. The show will run through to
January 6, 2018.

For the second year in a row Linda was honored with a Best in Show award for Lighthouse Keeper’s Companion, a rear-view portrait of a black cat gazing out of a window of the Southeast Lighthouse on Block Island. At one time the head keeper and his family lived in one side of the dwelling, while assistants were given apartments in the other half. There’s no doubt that these keepers had pets, and that’s what sparked Linda’s idea of placing a cat in a window of the red brick tower. If interested, click HERE to learn more about this historic and visually striking lighthouse. To see other MPSGS award winners, click this link.

Linda recently received a wonderful surprise when she heard from the Mountainside Art Guild that she was being honored with an award sponsored by First Bank of Colorado for her painting Bovine Beauty, a depiction of a very special breed of cow, a Randall Lineback. The Mountainside Art Guild’s Annual Miniature Show was held from August through September at the Lakewood Arts Gallery, located just west of the heart of Denver. This juried show featured the work of artists of national acclaim as well as miniaturists in and around the Denver area. Evident by their 13th year, this miniature show is a favorite for residents and visitors alike.

Juror Pat Magee chose Linda’s piece for this award from hundreds of entries, many depicting themes of nature, animals, or conservation. If you are curious about this rare cattle breed, click here to visit its featured page for a brief explanation of its origin.

Have you ever known a cat so special that he actually inspired you? Linda is happy to announce that her miniature entitled Deck Master recently received the People’s Choice Award at Parklane Gallery’s 25th Annual International Juried Miniature Show. News from the Gallery relayed great sales, a Sponsor Award for Country Cousins and now a People’s Choice Award for Deck Master! This painting, which displays an outstretched orange tabby sunbathing on a deck, is actually a portrait of Sunshine, Linda’s neighbor’s adored pet cat. As Linda explains, “Sunshine, aka Gargamel, was a neighbor’s cat who believed in having a second home —ours! He would sun himself on the deck, and if any other neighborhood cat approached his coveted territory, he would make sure they know who was the 'deck master.' Gargs was the subject of many of my paintings and is missed terribly by all who experienced the pleasure of his company. Although he is no longer with us, I intend to continue to paint this very special feline to pay homage to his extremely good looks and larger than life personality.”

Did you know that more than 80% of these beautiful orange tabbies are male? The orange color is produced due to the presence of the pigment pheomelanin which displays colors in the red to cream ranges and produces orange cats that can be very dark to very light orange in color. Often called “Marmalade cats” or Ginger cats,” orange tabbies are thought to be friendly and lovable and are actually more likely to be adopted from shelters than cats of other colors. Just take one look at Gargamel’s beautiful green eyes gazing lovingly at the viewer, and you can see why this might be true.

Behold the miniature still life of porcelain and other material cats inspired from an array from Linda’s own kitchen. Country Cousins was the recipient of Parklane Gallery’s Sponsor Award. Chosen from over 300 masterfully crafted paintings, Country Cousins depicts Linda’s personal collection of cats in clay, porcelain, tin, glass, wood and even an old printing plate, represented exactly as they are on top of her kitchen cabinets in her home. As she herself enjoys collecting cat items, Linda painted this tiny masterpiece with other feline collectors in mind.

Linda is delighted to share her miniature Garden of Dreams,
and to announce that it recently won an Award of Excellence
at the Ridge Art Association Miniature Art Exhibition, which
ran from April 6-23rd in Winter Haven, Florida. The painting,
where white cushioned chairs implore the viewer to sit back
and unwind in the beauty of its bright floral surroundings,
does indeed mesmerize the viewer, who immediately is
soothed into a calm state of mind.

The mission of the Ridge Art Association is to educate and promote understanding of the visual arts and to sponsor
cultural events within the community. Its biennial juried Miniature Art Exhibition features tiny masterpieces
submitted by local as well as nationally-known artists, and is one of the gallery’s most celebrated events.

The Art League of Willcox and the Willcox Chamber of Commerce recently held their 20th Annual Sulphur Springs International Miniature & Small Works Show. Each year the Willcox Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture hosts this special art event by displaying an array of tiny masterpieces, welcoming over 5,700 visitors who are guided through the exhibition.

Linda is overjoyed with the judge’s award for Second Place for Hey Handsome, a close-up of a striking wild turkey peering at the viewer with his red waddle prominent and his fan feathersspread wide and full. But she’s especially thrilled that it was the visitors who voted Garden of Dreams, a miniature that beckons the viewer to relax in the gorgeous floral surroundings, as their overall favorite of the show!

Art Journey Animals is the first-ever compendium of the most soulful and inspiring animal and wildlife artworks, culled from the winners of North Light's popular competition-books series. More than 100 hand-selected drawings and paintings by a wide variety of top contemporary artists have been carefully curated to capture the wonder of nature, from the family room to the farm and the sea to the savanna.

The best of the best masterworks from AcrylicWorks, Splash, Strokes of Genius and INCITE have been compiled into this gorgeous, oversized full-color book, which includes observations into the texture, innovation, style and significance of each piece. Accompanying in-depth interviews with the artists offer meaningful insights into nature, the creative process and the human condition.

Linda’s drawing of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever can be found on page 26. It is truly an honor having had my work selected for inclusion in this marvelous book that focuses on drawings and paintings inspired by animal companions and wild creatures of the world. LR

Available at Amazon, Barns & Noble, Target, Walmart, and other fine retailers, online or in store.