Artist and Work of Art, Linda Cross

Posted: July 22nd, 2010 | 1 Comment »

This week’s V-Inspiring woman is a work of art herself. We present to you, Linda Cross, artist, published author, gardener, wife, mother, and grandmother.

Linda Cross is truly an inspiration to women. Linda is doing exactly what she loves and is passionate about, creating art inspired by the landscape of the earth. Her work is beautiful and organic, much like Linda herself. At 73 years old, Linda is still having gallery openings and creating new artwork. Our V-Inspiring woman arrived in New York City in 1961, after finishing her Masters In Fine Art at the University of New Mexico, she designed and styled some of the finest department store windows, published a children’s craft book, and worked creating art, all while raising her family. Linda is the woman we all want to be, reminding us that with balance, and by honoring our creative gifts, we can have it all, and it doesn’t have to end at 40, or 50, or 60, or 70!

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration): Ever since I was a child, when my mother gave me crayons and paper, I’ve been making art work. I went through art school and was thrilled to get a graduate fellowship to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Throughout the years, making art work has been a constant source of inspiration and stability.

Age: I’m 73 and feel great. In some ways I feel that I have lived through many different lives, the early years of finding myself as a person and as an artist, the years focused on bringing up a child, the experiences of different art-related jobs, (window display, teaching, arts administration) and now the mature years with time to do what feels important each day.

Family situation: One of the best things that ever happened to me was meeting and marrying John. We’ve had a wonderful life together – 48 years of marriage. Our son, Peter, has been a constant joy, and now his wife Susan and their son Will, complete our lives.

How do you make sure you feel good everyday? I begin every day on our treadmill with a fast walk for 2 miles. I have never been athletic and for years felt that my active life was enough exercise. Then a couple of years ago I decided that I needed to deal with the things that come with age, such as weight gain and high blood pressure. I decided to be more health conscious and realized that I could use the treadmill if I didn’t try to go too fast, and just do what is comfortable and works for me.

What inspires you to do the work that you do? My mother encouraged me and now my husband and family are very supportive of my art work. I love what I do – it’s a way of life for me. What inspires me: the landscape where we live in the Hudson River Valley and also seeing art – thinking about the history of art. I’m inspired to continue the tradition.

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have? A lot of confidence has come from the development of my art career over the years, including frequent exhibitions, sales and reviews in art journals. As for my life as a whole, my solid family life gives me strength and joy.

What’s your approach to nutrition? We’ve always been health conscious in our diet, but since Susan has come into our lives, we now know a great deal more about nutrition. We thank her for her positive influence. We are cutting down on salt. Sugar is not an issue – we rarely have desserts or pastry. We love fresh, local vegetables and keep a garden. John and I love to cook together and collect recipes that are fresh and nutritious as well as delicious.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise? I guess I am optimistic at heart so my approach to challenges and worries is to try to figure out the best solution and go from there. We have been fortunate to have good health and steady lives for us and our family.

What do you do to stay in balance? I think the use of the word balance is key – everything requires choices, focus. Each day, each year, I need to focus on what is most important at the time. There are times when it’s not possible to do everything. I remember the busy years when our son was a toddler, and later when my calendar seemed to have more of his schedule than mine! But looking back, those years went by very quickly. And by the way, my daily calendar is very important. I need to map out the projects ahead, make to-do lists, feel a sense of the season at hand and the one ahead.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you? A pedicure is an indulgent pleasure for me!

What advice do you have for women/men aiming to have it all? In other words, what do you do or have you done that works for you? Having it all seems a little unrealistic and perhaps should not be a goal. I feel personally that it’s more important to focus on the issues at hand, set goals that are attainable and continue upgrading the goals. And don’t discredit small pleasures such as a beautiful meal, a clean child tucked in bed, or whatever it is that you accomplish with your efforts.

Any other thoughts? In thinking about accomplishing goals, I try to completely finish what I have set out to do, and do a good job. So that involves not getting overwhelmed, knowing what you have the time and energy to do. Of course, long-term goals take time and patience, but a lot of pleasure can be gained by completing each step as it comes.

Linda is represented by The Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, New York. To request more information on Linda’s work, please visit www.carriehaddad.com.

Thank you for speaking to Venus In Balance and for inspiring so many!
xo