Inspiration


Western North Carolina is famed for its lush flora and dramatic sunsets, yet Linsey is captivated by the tangled grasses atop naked knolls, wind-twisted shrubs, and the profound density of mountain fog. 

“I find those postcard views, while undoubtedly stunning, to be quite stimulating. The endless ridgelines, vibrant palette, and the overpowering sun and shadows are intense. Moving through the clouds, however, demands a distinct and much quieter kind of presence.”

Inspired by these seemingly mundane views along beloved trails, she describes her work as mental landscapes of her “return to self and abandoned dreams”. In harmony with the wood grain, she embraces the natural movement of her charcoals, welcoming imperfection and uncertainty into her process. 

A Meditation on

Restoration + Connection

Linsey believes that art has the ability to deepen our connections to one another and the world around us. Her practice mirrors this conviction: just as she collaborates with her materials, allowing their intrinsic nature to guide the process, she seeks to pay close attention to the organic relationships that shape daily life.

Her mission is one of restoration. Through her art, she aims to provide grounding in a desensitized world and to serve as a reminder that a sense of awe remains accessible in the simplest materials, methods, and moments. She invites discomfort, reflection, and possibility into her work, and into the viewer's experience.

Process

Linsey has a longstanding appreciation for charcoals, having previously worked in portraiture, figure drawing, and architectural renderings. Today, she employs them with a new focus on intuition and the process itself.

Working with charcoal and soft pastels on unfinished wood grain introduces an element of messiness and unpredictability. Linsey welcomes this challenge throughout her process: Turning gathered twigs into charcoal, taking cues from the wood grain to shape each composition, sealing each piece with a cold wax meticulously by hand, and crafting every frame from hand-selected, locally milled hardwood.

This deliberate approach mirrors the natural world, fostering acceptance of the unexpected  in both the artist and those who admire her work.

"There are moments where I allow my eyes to lose focus and find rest, the composition in front of me momentarily blurred despite my hand still in motion. I never imagined how cathartic surrendering to the materials could be. Some of my favorite details are created during those moments of complete reverie.”

Step by Step

  • Materials

    Linsey’s begins each new collection by making a fresh batch of drawing charcoal. This ritual is more about creating with nature. It’s a respite from the pressure to produce and a reminder that presence is the purpose of any art, transforming overwhelm into inspiration.

  • Concept


    Serving as mini meditations, Linsey plans out new work on a much smaller scale and preferably on highly textured paper—both properties ensuring Linsey’s marks remain loose and free from detail that might otherwise impose too much pressure when referencing.

  • Composition


    Taking cues from the grain pattern, Linsey starts each piece by applying several fine layers of ground charcoal and pastels to the unfinished wood panel with a brush, blending as needed by hand or felt cloth. Using assorted soft pastels and charcoals a series of gestural marks dance their way in, settling into each previous layer to produce a soft, supple haze.

  • Build


    Countless layers of powdered and stick charcoals and pastels build upon one another to create depth—drawing in detail, smudging it with a finger, blurring it with a brush, repeat. For some works, Linsey takes a reverse approach, using a kneaded eraser to draw in details and further shape the composition through subtraction.

  • Finish


    Multiple layers of spray fixative secure the marks and pigments in place. Once dry and the medium seems to be 90-95% affixed, Linsey very carefully applies an archival cold wax by hand to seal the artwork in a satin finish. Compared to a traditional varnish or shellac, the wax settles into both the medium and the wood grain and add that final layer of depth and warmth to each piece.

  • Frame


    Sourcing a local supplier for quality hardwoods, Linsey hand-selects raw material for each frame. Once custom planed to their specified thickness, she brings the boards home where they are ripped to their finished widths and sanded smooth. They’re then brought into the studio where Linsey miters, finishes with a clear matte poly-wax, and assembles around each artwork.