Artist Statement and Bio
ALL IMAGES AND TEXTS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE UNDER COPYRIGHT BY LINDA DEMPSEY. © 2021.
Biography:
As a visual artist, I work in encaustic, painting, drawing, and mixed media. I earned my BFA in Illustration from Southern Connecticut State University in 1990 and moved to New York City to pursue a career in illustration, fine art, teaching, and consulting. During my 17 years in the East Village, I immersed myself in the vibrant art scene and had the opportunity to exhibit my work in various galleries. In 2007, seeking more space, I moved to a seaside home in Newport, Rhode Island, where I discovered encaustic painting and found the ideal environment to explore this medium.
In 2014, I relocated to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where I earned my graduate degree in art education from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. I maintained a large studio in historic New Bedford, overlooking the harbor, and had the opportunity to exhibit my whale and nautical-themed art at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
In 2021, I returned to New Haven to take on an art teaching position and have since transitioned to a new school as both art teacher and Director of the Visual Arts Department. It’s a wonderful community where I truly feel I’ve come full circle.
Most of my work is available for sale, and I welcome commissions. Giclée prints of many pieces are also available. Please contact me at www.lindadempsey.com
Artist Statement
Through my artwork, I seek to capture the elusive quality that transforms a figure or landscape from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Encaustic, with its fluidity and texture, allows me to convey a sense of place and its fleeting magic using hot wax and a heat gun.
Light plays a central role in my work. It is always the light that captivates me most—whether in a subject, location, or dreamscape. It is both my inspiration and my greatest challenge. To capture this ethereal quality, I experiment with various mixed media and surfaces.
My recent work reflects the environmental destruction threatening our natural world—from the seas to the bees, butterflies to Arctic drilling. These fragile and beautiful elements are at critical risk, as is the well-being of our planet.
"While I recognize the necessity for a basis of observed reality, true art lies in a reality that is felt." — Odilon Redon
Current shows and exhibits:
Kehler Liddell Gallery, New Haven Ct
Estate Coffee Roasters West Haven Ct
Hygenic Art New Haven Ct
Naumann Gallery Branford Ct
Past shows and exhibits:
The Whaling Museum. New Bedford MA
Gallery 4. Tiverton, RI
The Barn Gallery. New Fairfield CT
Deblois Gallery. Middletown RI
Bailey Gallery. Dartmouth MA
New Bedford Regional Airport Gallery. New Bedford MA (Commission)
New Bedford Art Museum. (2018)
Star Store UMass Dartmouth 2018
Grimshaw Gudewicz Art Gallery. 2017
Newport Art Museum. 2015
Spring Bull Gallery Newport RI. 2010-2018
Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI. 2019
Prince St Gallery NYC. 1999-2005
First Street gallery NYC, 2008
Rivington Gallery NYC. 1995-2000
Art Space New Haven Ct. 1989-1995
City Gallery New Haven CT. 1987-1998
Publications:
Thesis: Social Justice Art Education and Personal Practice: Teachers who do Both.
Presented at National Arts Educators Association Annual Convention, Seattle, WA. May 2018.
50 Markets of Illustration, by John Roman, 2014. Published several pieces of my work.
Memberships:
NAEA: National Arts Education Association.
MAEA: Massachusetts Art Educators Association.
SCAA: South Coast Artist Association.
RICA: R .I. State Council on the Arts.
CAA: CT Arts Alliance.
