The pandemic has had some positive side effects, among them acts of generosity and creativity. And it is these two impulses that have long guided the work of Montreal artist Lynda Goldman. “Before I start a painting, I think about what I could give people that would make them feel happy and energized every time they look at it,” she says. “I want to give a moment of joy.”
An upbeat colour palette helps convey the message in her lively abstract works. Shades of magenta and turquoise, personal favourites, dance across the surfaces. They are often joined by vibrant yellow because it invokes the sun and happiness. For larger works on canvas, up to 36 inches square, Goldman combines acrylic paints with such other media as ink or pastels.
But it is her smaller works—12 inches square and under—that pack the most high-pigment punch. She first layers alcohol inks in playful designs and patterns onto non-porous Yupo paper, then glues the image to a wood board. A finishing coat of clear resin adds a special luminosity. “I learned the technique from other artists online and then put my own spin on it,” she says. “I also use a blow torch and power sander to get the right effect.”
The artist has been painting full-time for two years, and might be considered something of a late bloomer. Close to 40 years ago, she left Concordia University in Montreal with a degree in fine arts and a specialty in large-scale sculpture installations. Family concerns and a desire for a more stable income took her on a different creative path. Goldman is a successful author with 44 titles to her credit. She also has coached aspiring authors.
Along the way, she was painting on the side, filling her home in Ville Saint-Laurent, Quebec with representational works, usually with a floral or bird theme. Two years ago, to the initial chagrin of her husband John’s more traditional eyes, she discovered abstract art and experienced an epiphany. “I saw immediately how I could more directly create a mood or feeling,” she says. “I wanted to go beyond form to paint the essence of the flower and other forms.”
She recently dusted off her writing skills to produce a 17-page informative booklet called 5 Steps to Decorate Your Home with Art You Love, Straight from an Artist. Available as a PDF on her www.LyndaGoldmanFineArt.com website, it can be downloaded free of charge. It came in response to years of fielding questions from people who were truly mystified by the process.
Giving back to the wider community is also important to her. Goldman grew up in a family that actively contributed to local causes. Today, she is not above joining her two young-adult daughters and grandchildren to march in support of the climate change movement. She also supports organizations that help women and children, and contributes some of the proceeds of art sales to them.
But she inevitably heads back to the studio. “I’m always pushing myself,” Goldman says. “I can’t stay in the same place or do the same thing over and over. I’m always exploring new concepts and materials, playing with colours, shapes and lines.” •
For more information, see Lynda Goldman’s website at: www.LyndaGoldmanFineArt.com
