Linda Chidsey

Linda was presented Best in Show awards for multiple years for Sculpture and for Mixed Media for the Dallas Business Council Corporate Arts Competitions. Linda’s work has been exhibited in numerous art shows and galleries throughout Texas and the Southwest including the American Airlines Center, Plaza of the Americas, Gaylord Texan Resort, Denton Art and Jazz Festival, and the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau. She was the featured artist in several galleries and events throughout Texas and was named a People’s Choice Winner at the Flower Mound Independence Festival. Her art has been awarded numerous accolades by Texas professional organizations including the Visual Art Society of Texas, the Texas Sculpture Association, the Grapevine Art Project, Lewisville Visual Arts League, Plano Art Association and the Texas Visual Art Association. Linda has significant involvement and contributes to Special Abilities of North Texas, Empty Bowls, the Museum of Biblical Arts and Dwell with Dignity. She also participates in the Cross Timbers Artist Guild and McKinney Artist Studio Tours. Linda’s art was featured in editions of the Dallas Fine Art Engagement Calendar and highlighted in various national publications. Linda is a member of the Texas Sculpture Association, the Visual Art Society of Texas, the Texas Pottery and Sculpture Guild, Lewisville Visual Arts League, Cross Timbers Artist Guild, the Texas Artist Coalition, the Texas Jewish Arts Association, Artist Enclave of Denton County, and the McKinney Music and Art Guild. She was selected for membership in the Art Professionals of Texas and the Worldwide Association of Female Professionals and served on the Highland Village Public Art Advisory Board.

After a 30 year career in information technology, my focus, time, and energy has taken a major shift to creating vibrant Raku sculptures, wearable jewelry art, and unusual copper creations. From a relatively simple palette of raw materials consisting of clay, metal, and natural stones, I strive to create unique jewelry, pottery, and sculptural forms.

I take every opportunity to explore new concepts and ideas to create one of a kind artwork. Most of my pottery is hand molded and no two pieces are alike. I utilize the Raku firing process to make my ceramic sculptures. This is an ancient technique that involves removing the pottery from the kiln, glowing with bright red heat and placing it into a reduction chamber filled with combustible organic material like newspaper, wood shavings, or leaves. The pottery ignites the materials resulting in an oxygen deficient atmosphere that robs oxygen from the clay creating unpredictable smoke patterns and spectacular metallic and lustrous effects. Raku is an exciting process, exciting for the artist and spectator alike. There is fire, smoke, and water but the best part is the beautiful and unique pottery that emerges from the ashes.

My copper sculptures are extraordinary contemporary sculptures made from various sized tubing which I bend, hammer, and manipulate until I am satisfied with the final form which evolves as I work with my raw materials. My forms are varied but some reoccurring shapes are circles, swirls, curves, and even spheres. I utilize several techniques to apply surface treatments to highlight certain areas and add more interest and create a variety of values that move your eyes around the sculpture. Often my surface treatments involve polishing and patinas and many of my pieces include elements from my Raku pottery.