Linda Jo Nazarenus

Linda Jo Nazarenus creates richly detailed paintings depicting vast, untouched terrain, and the wildlife that inhabits them. Her technique is influenced by Northern European masters of the Renaissance, which entails layering many thin oil glazes on panel or paper to achieve a high level of detail. Richly rendered surfaces convey sensations of velvety fur, sun-bleached stone, and native foliage. Influenced by the Swedish and American Southwest topography, she creates images that communicate a reverence for nature.

Nazarenus’ works challenge our notions of wildlife by imbuing wild creatures with a marked sentience usually reserved for human subjects. Her animal subjects are as alert to our presence as viewers as they are enmeshed in the struggle for their own survival in the complex environments they inhabit. The artist’s treatment of the landscape infuses familiar features of the land with otherworldly qualities and a psychological weightiness, which suggest both the wonder and unknowability of the natural world.

Originally from Seattle, Nazarenus’ most recent work continues her long-held interest in the Southwestern United States, and her reverence for the lands and creatures she found there. Of her work and its relationship to the region, the artist elaborates: “I wanted to capture and pay homage to this unique and beautiful region, keeping the future of it in mind. It’s a land of extremes, in many ways. The dramatic weather alone is a constant reminder of human frailty in the face of the more powerful forces of Nature.” Impermanence, vulnerability and deference for those that inhabit that landscape are all strewn throughout Nazarenus’ suspenseful, self-reflective compositions.

Linda Jo Nazarenus studied Art History and Scandinavian studies at the University of Washington. She has been exhibiting with Harris Harvey Gallery, formerly Lisa Harris Gallery, since 2005. Her visionary perspective and technical skill have made her a sought-after artist for productions by such performing art organizations as Seattle Opera, ACT Theatre, Seattle Opera, and Seattle Children’s Theatre.