Linda Townsend grew up amongst the beautiful landscapes of Arizona, where she still lives today. She was born to a long family line of artists who encouraged her to nurture her creative side and by the young age of three the pursuit of her passion began. She found a mentor in her father, Kerry Townsend, a spectacular realism artist who works in pen and ink, her mother, Fran Townsend, a remarkable and skilled oil painter and her grandmother, Delores Townsend, a gifted toll painter and crafter.

"When I was younger, arts and crafts where always around," remembers Linda. "Often my sister, cousins and I would go visit grandma for a day of fun. She always had a special craft waiting for us and never minded when we got a bit dirty. I guess it was my grandmother who taught me to be a fearless artist, and I'm thankful for that."

Though she knew she had a great love for creating art, it wasn't until her first art show did Linda realize that her talents and passions weren't a normal occurrence, "I was about seven when I entered my first art show. It was a [school] district wide show held at the local library and the first time I'd ever seen people admiring art. I didn't know that what I had was a unique talent...I thought everyone could draw and enter art shows. I couldn't imagine people not getting their hands dirty [in art] like I did and loving it. I thought I was normal. It was a awkward awakening."

Linda continued to develop her skills taking every art class or workshop available to her. In high school, she remembers often being elected for the creative aspects in school projects, "I was really quiet in school, but one thing my classmates and friends noticed was my art ability. It was kinda nice because I usually got to do the creative portion of class projects which I always thought was the fun part." Also in high school, Linda was able to take an independent studies course in art. At the end of the semester she was able to submit her work to the school art exhibit where six of her pieces won awards in four categories.

In addition to her artwork, Linda did very well in her scholastic career. She loved reading and studying Shakespeare and enjoyed the math and science courses she took in school, both of which she excelled in. Surprisingly, art wasn't her first choice for her career path, "I always wanted to be a doctor, helping others and making them better. My greatest dream was to help find cures to horrible diseases and bring comfort to those who needed it." Art, however, never left her mind, "Now with my artwork I can bring joy to people in a different way."

Now starting her career as an artist, Linda is driven and inspired to make a mark in the world of art. She is a strong Christian who believes God has a plan and path for all of us and she is excited to find where these roads will take her.