Artist: Linda Oostuysen
Artist Bio:
Linda Oosthuysen, born and raised in Zimbabwe, Africa. I married a safari operator, and we lived with our 3 children on our 22,000 acre family ranch.
Walking on foot through the African bush capturing nature with my camera has detracted my mind from the world, sending me on many tours of God’s natural untouched beauty. It was always exciting to return home, download my photographs and capture the images in my own way using my pryographer (wood burner) on natural pieces of wood, water colors, chalk and oil pastels and acrylics on varied weights and textures of paper, and acrylic paintings of African animals on ostrich eggs. Capturing flora and fauna including ground covers and bark, grasses, insects, dung and the spore of animals on camera is fascinating.
Before moving onto the ranch my first career was in printing and advertising as a finished artist. I have worked predominantly in watercolors and acrylics and pyrography since then.
Unfortunately after living on the ranch for 25 years we were evicted by the Zimbabwean government. We lost our beautiful home, life in the bush and all the surrounding living creatures were sadly left behind. We came to the USA to start a new life. This is where I discovered emu, ostrich and goose egg carving, a past time that I absolutely dwell in and love. The beauty of Africa is still my center of focus however every season brings new ideas ready to design and turn into works of Art.
My goal is to divert from African wildlife and move towards customized relief carving on ostrich eggs. I would also like to captivate the colors of the layers of emu eggs in a variation of vivid precisionally carved logos; cuisine, all sports, weddings, sea creatures, musical themes, modes of transport, portraits of people and pets, religious scenes, floral, boats, etc.
Artist Contact:
Linda Oosthuysen14426 CR 51 Holyoke, CO 80734
Home: (970) 854-3607
Cell: (970) 580-8076
oosthuysens@pctelcom.coop