Linda Benton McCloskey

One of my favorite quotes completely describes me - "I paint because not to paint is unthinkable.  Painting completes me and truly is my life's passion."

STATEMENT
I begin a new work without a preconceived outcome in mind.  I simply begin painting and then intuition, love, desire, and experience take over.  When I am in this dream-like state, I give way to the process.  Eventually I begin to see and respond to shapes, forms, and movements.  I then develop them further...regardless of the result, the painting takes me to a new and unexpected destination.

My art is influenced by the impulsive approach of the abstract expressionists de Kooning, Motherwell, Kline, Mitchell and Hofmann.  Discovering creative ways of expression and keeping traditional rules of painting out of the picture are priorities.  Since I enjoy varying my pallete of colors and approaches, my recent non-objective works are mostly watermedia and encaustic with lots of texture and exciting color.  Diversity, with all its fascinating choices, intrigues me and is evident in my work.

BIOGRAPHY
After changing careers and researching my family's history, I discovered that Thomas Hart Benton (an American Regionalist Painter 1889-1975) was my great uncle.  I have studied under international artists such as Pat Dews, Betsy Dillard-Stroud, Karlyn Holman, George James, Gerald Brommer, Carrie Burns Brown, Mary Todd Beam, and Steven Aimone.  I am a member of local art groups and a teacher of experimental water media, collage, abstract design, and encaustic.  I also am a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, Baltimore Watercolor Society, and International Society of Experimental Artists.

I have exhibited in numerous national and international juried shows, universities, cultural centers, galleries, and museums.  Most of my works are in private collections and universities.  I am married and have 5 children and 8 grandchildren and live near Harrisburg, PA.

AWARDS

2011 - Art Center of Mechanicsburg - Member Show - 1st Place - "Stepping Back"

2010 - Yorkfest Outdoor Art Festival - Annual Juried Show - BEST ARTIST OF SHOW (121 Artists)
2010 - PA Watercolor Society Annual Members Show - 4th Place - "Brassy"
2010 - ISEA Award - ISEA (Int'l Society of Experimental Artists) International Juried Show - Grand   
         Rapids, Michigan - "A New Place"
2010 - Best Use of Media Award - Art Center of Mechanicsburg - Regional Juried Exhibit -
         "Imagination" 

2009 - Award - Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Annual National Juried Exhibit - "Through the Looking
          Glass" 
2009 - Merchandise Award - ISAP Online Juried Exhibit (International Society of Acrylic Painters -
          "Revelation"
2009 - 3rd Place - Lancaster County Annual National Juried Show - Encaustic, "Earth Matters"
2009 - 2nd Place - York Art Association Annual Regional Abstract Show - Acrylic, "Revelation"

2008 - Award of Excellence - York Art Association Annual Juried Show - Encaustic, Red Square
2008 - Barrett & Chandler Merchandise Award - Pennsylvania Watercolor Society National Juried
          Show - Watermedia, Brassy
2008 - Honorable Mention - Keystone Juried National Works on Paper - Watermedia, The Hen House 
2008 - 2nd Place - International Society of Experimental Artists - International Juried Show -           Encaustic, The Finish Line
2008 - Rottler Award for Excellence - York Art Assoc.'s highest annual award - Watermedia, Brassy
2008 - Judges Award - Art Center of Mechanicsburg, PA - Mixed Media, Masquerade
2008 - Blue Ribbon - Most Distinquished Artist - YorkFest Art Festival, York, PA

2007 - Honorable Mention - Rottler Exhibit - York Art Assoc, York, PA, Mixed Media, Night Flight
2007 - 2nd Place, York Art Association, York, PA, Encaustic, Going Around in Circles

2006 - 1st Place, Annual Juried Show, Kennett Square, PA, Watermedia, Kaleidoscope
2006 - 3rd Place, Annual Juried Show, Kennett Square, PA, Abstracted Landscape Collage, River's   Edge
2006 - Cutting Edge Award, ISEA, Watermedia, Tunes
2006 - 2nd Place,Lanc. County Art Assoc., Mixed Media, Indigo Nights
2006 - 2nd Place, Art Assoc. of Harrisburg, Collage, On Display

2005 - 2nd Place, Frame Connection Gallery, Mixed Media, Indigo Nights
2005 - Best Mixed Media, Art Center of Mech, Mixed Media, Nature’s Harmony
2005 - 1st Place, Lancaster County AA, Collage, Spring Beauty

2004 - Best of Show, Frame Connection Gallery, Oil, Green Pastures
2004 - 2nd Place, Frame Connection Gallery, Oil, Green Pears
2004 - 3rd Place, Susquehanna Art Society, Oil, Green Pastures

2003 - People’s Choice, Lancaster County AA, Best Artist of Show
2003 - People’s Choice, Hershey Hotel (Arts in the Garden), Oil, Pinkerton Bridge
2003 - 2nd Place, Hershey Hotel, (Arts In the Garden), Oil, Pinkerton Bridge
2003 - 1st Place, Silver & Gold Magazine’s Fine Art Exhibit, Oil, Blue Mist

JURIED SHOWS

2010 - PWS (PA Watercolor Society) International Juried Show - Watermedia - "Green With Envy"
2010 - National Watercolor Society's (NWS) - Annual Juried Membership Show - Watermedia - "A New Place"
2010 - ISEA (International Society of Experimental Artists) - Annual Juried International Show - "A New Beginning"
2010 - Art Center of Mechanicsburg - Annual National Juried Show - Acrylic - "New Revelation"


2009 - Pittsburgh Watercolor Society's - Annual International Juried Show - Watermedia - "Through the Looking Glass"
2009 - Keystone National Works on Paper - Annual National Juried Show - Watermedia - "Lady Luck"
2009 - PWS (Pennsylvania Watercolor Society) - Annual National Juried Show - Watermedia - "Wonderland"
2009 - ISEA (International Society of Experimental Artists) - Annual Int'l Juried Show - Encaustic - "Red Squared"
2009 - Watercolor USA 2009 - Springfield, MO, National Juried Show - Watermedia - "All Things Remembered"
2009 - Lancaster County Annual National Jurried Show, Encaustic "Earth Matters"
2009 - VMRC, Harrisonburg, VA, National Show, Encaustic, "The Spectator"
2009 - Center of the Creative Arts, Fredericksburg, VA, National Show, Encaustic, "Green Squared"

 2008 - PA Watercolor Society National Juried Show - Watercolor, "Brassy"
2008 - York Art Association Annual Juried Show - 2 Pieces - Encaustic, "Red Square" and           Watermedia, "Steppin' Up"
2008 - Int'l Society of Experimental Artist's International Juried Show - Encaustic, "The Finish Line"
2008 - Keystone National Works on Paper 2008 Juried Show - Watermedia, "The Hen House"
2008 - York Art Association - Rottler Show - Watermedia, "Brassy" and Watermedia, "Samauri"
2008 - Berks County Art Alliance, Goggle Works, Reading, PA, Juried Show - 2 pieces, Watercolor,    "Brassy" and "Samauri"
2008 - Lancaster County Art Assoc, Strasburg, PA, Nat'l Juried Show - Watercolor, Serenity and       Encaustic, The Big Easy      
2008 - VMRC, Harrisonburg, VA, Nat'l Show, Encaustic Evening Grace
2008 - Susan Arnold Gallery, Lebanon, PA, Collage, Shades of Blue
2008 - Baltimore Watercolor Society, Baltimore, Md, Watermedia, Samauri
2008 - WAS-H (Watercolor Art Society - Houston), Houston, TX, Watermedia The Hen House

2007 - St. Louis Artists Guild National Juried Show, St. Louis, MO, Encuastic Earth's Cycles
2007 - First Frontier Collage Society, Austin, TX, National Juried Show, The Rising
2007 - Alaska Watercolor Society National Juried Show, Alaska, Watercolor, 2 Moons Rising
2007 - ISEA International Juried Show, Santa Cruz, CA, Mixed Media, The Guardian
2007 - Art Center of Mechanicsburg, National Juried Show, Mechanicsburg, PA, Mixed Media,         Kaleidoscope
2007 - Greely Cultural National Juried Show, Greely, CO, Oil, Green Pears

2006 - York Art Association, York, PA, Mixed Media The Red Chemise - and Collage The River's Edge
2006 - Art Institute of Salisbury, MD, Nat'l Show, Encaustic, The Wall
2006 - Art Alliance of Central PA, State College, PA, Nat'l Show, Mixed Media, Root'in Toot'in Cowboy
2006 - Veridian Artists Gallery, New York City, NY, Nat'l Show, Mixed Media, 3 Pieces of Work
2006 - Art Association of Harrisburg, Nat'l Show, Encaustic, The Wall
2006 - Lebanon Valley College, Regional Show, Mixed Media, The Rising Sun
2006 - VMCR, Harrisonburg, VA, Nat'l Show, Mixed Media, Indigo Nights
2006 - Houston Watercolor Society, Houston, TX, Nat'l Show, Watermedia, The Hornblower

PUBLICATIONS

2011 - Harrisburg Magazine, November 2011 Issue, Featured Artist - "Artist Discovers Fulfillment in Non-Objective Work" 

2009 - The Creative Edge, Book, author Mary Todd Beam, 3 pieces of work published
2009 - Central Pennsylvania Magazine (Central PA Magazine), Cover Page and Featured Article
         (February Issue)
2008 - 50 Plus, Regioonal Magazine, Cover and Featured Article
2006 - Watercolor Magic magazine, June 2006 Issue, Watermedia, Indigo Nights
2006 - Featured Artist for the Allied Arts Council of Central PA, 2006 Billboards & Brochure
2005 - Featured Artist, Business2Business Regional Periodical, One of 8 Hottest Artists for 2005