Artist’s Bio - meet the artist

Linda Callihan Watkins

Growing up…

Born in North Carolina, the Fort Bragg area was considered home base while growing up. Apart from a 5-year spell in England in the early ‘90s, Linda has lived mostly in or around the Raleigh/Cary, NC, area until moving to Chatham Co., one of North Carolina’s most vibrant arts communities, in 1997.

Basically self-taught, Linda has had the urge to draw and paint for as long as she can remember. As a child, she was never without a No. 2 pencil and always sketching.

It wasn't until the 80's that she discovered the joy of watercolor and it has been her first choice ever since. Linda recalls a watercolor workshop, by N. Carolina artist Susan Schumacher, as being her first, true introduction to the medium.

Home again…

Returning from England, a new home, new grandchildren, aging parents, resulted in a shift to what Linda refers to as "lap art".  Bible art journaling, pencil Zen-"doodling", became her main artistic outlet while allowing the mobility necessary to care for her family. It would be almost 20 years before Linda could pick up the paintbrushes again.

Taking inspiration from her ancestral, farming roots and her garden, finally, she began to paint what she saw around her. Blossoms and bees, birds and berries, the fascination with nature took hold.

Linda first made her work public as recently as 2017. Since then, she has been accepted into the Watercolor Society of North Carolina, is a member of the Chatham Artists Guild, and participates, annually, in their successful, open studio tour.

Linda continues to live and work in Chatham County, NC