Linda Stokey
Linda Stokey was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and has had a lifelong interest in art. After working in a variety of media—including oils, watercolor, batik, silkscreen, pastels, graphite, and acrylics—she discovered colored pencil after moving to Las Vegas. An introductory class in 2018 sparked an immediate and lasting connection to the medium, which has since become her exclusive focus.
Linda’s colored pencil work is inspired by her love of travel and photography. She often uses her own photographs as reference material, capturing unique subjects from locations around the world. The tree frog featured in Emergence was inspired by a photograph taken in Singapore.
Her work has been shown in international colored pencil exhibitions and continues to reflect her curiosity, attention to detail, and appreciation for the natural world.
“Colin the Hatter”
18 x 12 Drawing
“LGBTango”
Artwork Description: I selected this drawing of two women dancing the tango for “Fresh Start” as a reflection on connection and movement in motion. The tango is a dance of tension and release. Each step is a new beginning and requires a response and continuation of movement. The old brick wall suggests history and what has been built over time while the dancers move fluidly in front of it, creating something new and alive. In choosing two women as dancers, I wanted to emphasize mutual strength and shared leadership. Both dancers share an equal part in the overall effect on the viewer.
EMAIL: lindazitch@gmail.com
17 x 11 Photography
Artwork Description: I selected Colin as my first thought of “Fresh Start”. I met him in London at his hat shop. He found himself homeless in 2013 after a robbery and series of misfortune. He reached out to an organization in the UK that helps with individuals starting over and used that support to purchase his initial stock of hats. He grew a business refurbishing vintage and selling new hats. He frequently donates to the organization that helped him and in doing so helps others get a fresh start. He is a staple in London’s East End and easily recognizable in his dapper suits and top hats, but not everyone knows how he pulled himself out of poverty into a business selling approximately 20,000 hats annually. I feel in this portrait his eyes and expression capture his resolve, mystery and dignity.
EMAIL: lindazitch@gmail.com