Meet Linda Guenste | Fine Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Linda Guenste and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Linda, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I don’t come from a family of creatives, but my best friends mother was an artist and she was a big influence on me growing up. When it was time to apply to colleges, there was no question about it, I was going to pursue a career in the arts.
 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My path in the arts has been a straight one. At 17, I attended figure drawing classes at the Arts Students League in NYC until I packed up and moved to Philadelphia to attend Philadelphia College of Art and then Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. There, they not only taught me to draw and paint, they taught me to live and breathe art for which I am forever grateful. It’s also the place where a met my husband, a fellow student studying sculpture. That was over 40 years ago and we have working side by side ever since. Of course it has not been without challenges. We both taught for 25+ years but never stopped producing work. It’s always been a comfort to have a partner who understands the field and is there to celebrate the successes and commiserate when things don’t go exactly as planned.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Santa Fe New Mexico and there is no end to all the great things to do here. We have world class museums, restaurants, countless historical sites to visit. I frequently take people to Meow Wolf, and interactive art installation like no other. Although our cuisine leans heavy on the Mexican- we have James Beard Award winning restaurant Sazon which is one of my favorites, we have food from all over the world. I often take folks on a day trip to Abiquiu, where Georgia O’Keefe lived and painted. The red and yellow cliffs are stunning and rarely overrun with tourists. Although there are plenty of nature trails and hiking place, Abiquiu has to be my favorite.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I grew up in a family that were not at all interested or involved in the visual arts. But that doesn’t mean they were’t supportive of me and my journey. I used to joke that I could draw a stick figure or throw a splat of color and my sweet mother would put it on the refrigerator and share it with her friends. She didn’t guide me in my artistic endeavors but she did support my decisions and work one hundred percent.

Website: www.lindaguenste.com

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Image Credits
Linda Guenste I own and certify the rights to my photos