Hancock Linda P Calligraphy & Design

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Welcome to the work of Linda P. Hancock Calligraphy and Design!
The variety of art on this site demonstrates the passion for creativity that drives Linda's enthusiasms.
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The painting at left is entitled "LightTrack #4." It was awarded Best in Show in the the 2009 Art Kudos online exhibition (www.artkudos.com). In selecting the piece for the honor, Juror Scott Canty stated: "I was attracted to this painting at first glance by the skill of the artist in producing a delightful rendition of soft shadow and beautiful light. This watercolor portrays a nice balance between the hard edge mechanical bicycle and the soft gray shadow. The image evokes a peaceful summer day."

The painting at left, entitled "Sitting for the Final Exam," was selected for inclusion in the Midwest Biennial 2009 Regional Juried Fine Art Exhibition to be held September 425, 2009 in the heart of Wausau Wisconsin's Arts District at 622 N. 3rd Street (http://midwestbiennial.org) It is 22" x 30" (image size) using gouache and ink on a whitewashed paper support.

The painting at left is entitled "Caged Fire." It also was selected for inclusion in the Midwest Biennial 2009 Regional Juried Fine Art Exhibition to be held September 425, 2009 in Wausau, Wisconsin (http://midwestbiennial.org).

This painting was also selected by the jury for the Letter Arts Review Annual 2008, scheduled for publication in Spring, 2009. The quotation reads: "When you deny the rights of a free people, you risk creating caged fire." The painting support is stretched canvas overlaid with rice paper and whitewash, with letters cut into the whitewash and overpainted with ink and gouache.

Linda P. Hancock is a freelance artist with her lettering and design studio located in Madison, Wisconsin. Her calligraphic artwork brings strong, contemporary graphic interpretation to this ancient fine arts tradition, drawing the observer into the text with bold graphic elements and vivid color. "Calligraphy offers the artist expression of both visual and literary art," she explains. "Grappling with the tension between the authors original purpose and my response as an interpretive artist is one of its inherent challenges." In her commissioned work, she enjoys continuing to use texts of the clients' choice. However in her personal work, she has begun to use her own words/voice in her calligraphic paintings, which enhances the intimate connection between text and art.

Linda has been pursuing her calligraphic training since 1968 when she began studying letterforms at The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, from which she was graduated in English Literature in 1969. She has studied with such noted artists as Thomas Ingmire, Brody Neuenschwander, Georgia Deaver, Charles Pearce and Denis Brown and has exhibited in Madison, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York and London. Her work has been selected for the permanent collection of the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison and the Newberry Library in Chicago, and has been commissioned for the collections of Northwest Mutual Life Insurance (Milwaukee), Anderson Hospice Center, Attic Angels Association, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Bethel Lutheran Church, and First Congregational Church (all of Madison, Wisconsin), among many others. She was honored as the featured artist for the 2001 Governor's Awards In Support Of The Arts given each year by the Wisconsin Foundation for the Arts. Her work hangs in private collections throughout the United States.

Linda has taught calligraphy and design since 1973, including courses offered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Outreach Program and at the 2008 International Lettering Arts Conference in Chicago. She has also taught privately, given workshops and lectured extensively. In her full-time studio, she produces handlettering and graphic design for commercial application (including clients such as American Girl, Lands End and Famous Footwear) and also creates commissioned fine art for individual and gallery exhibition.

When not completing client assignments in her calligraphic studio, she pursues a longtime interest in drawing and painting, as shown in the Fine Art Gallery (see menu at left). Her emphasis is on still life, with a continuing desire to explore light and shadow, and negative and positive space. Her works are regularly selected for inclusion in exhibitions around the country and online.