Working in oil paint and usually on a large scale, many of her commissions are life-size or larger of her subjects, allowing her clients to share their homes with their favorite four-footed friends. Linda works in many mediums, but prefers to paint with oils. “Oils help me describe the fluidity of horses in action as well as the depth of color and contrast,” she said. “Because there is no ‘true black’ pigment in nature, I mix each of the darks and lights in my paintings using color combinations. It is subtle but really helps the painting become ‘real’ to the eye. My style is not strictly high realism—in most cases, you can see the brush strokes as I use them to build the roundness of the muscles and tension in the movement.” Show horses, reining and racing are some of Massey’s favorite images to capture, due in part to the sports’ energy, color and movement. “I strive to capture the essence and energy of the horse,” said Massey. “The way you feel every time you lead a horse out of the stall, let him loose in a pasture, or swing a leg over the saddle, there is a connection in which you feel a one-on-one relationship. What I have learned over a lifetime with horses is that each one is unique, from the first moment you see him until you memorize each inch of him while grooming him with a dandy brush. Finding a way to capture that uniqueness with a paintbrush is my inspiration.” Linda’s work has been winning awards and gaining respect in both the art world and the equine and canine sports industries. Her work recently toured North America in the prestigious Masters of the Fox Hounds 100th Anniversary International Art Show. She’s also recently won top honors at both the illustrious Oregon Art Show and the Art of the Dog Show in Wichita, Kansas. She was also commissioned to paint the cover artwork for the 2009 International Paint Horse World Show in Ft. Worth, Texas as the World Show’s exclusive featured artist. She is also entered in the very competitive AGI National Juried Show in Maryland as well as the American Academy of Equine Art’s Fall Show. Linda has been riding horses before she was walking. She is an accomplished horseman, with over a dozen state championship titles under her belt. She has ridden in everything from foxhunting to rodeo, from polo to endurance riding. The last few years have been in the reining show pen where she’s earned a number of titles with her handy little horse, Lynx Tari. She has also been actively campaigning in favor of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act to protect America’s horses from slaughter in the United States. She hopes to bring more awareness of the beauty and value of these magnificent animals through her effort and artwork. Linda lives in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin with her filmmaker husband and their little Jack Russell terrier, Willy. |
Linda Massey is a life long artist, horseman and animal lover and she is thrilled when she has the opportunity to combine her passions. She strives to capture the living essence of her equine and canine subjects in her paintings, from the ripping muscles of a racehorse to the singular focus of a foxhound hot in a hunt. It’s been said her art is of the moment, capturing the drama – and the energy – of the animals she paints.