Portrait Of An American Artist In France

It's been raining for eight days straight in the Medieval French town of Dinan, and the sun just came out. You can bet that right about now, Workhouse artist Lynn Goldstein is taking a hike. 

"I walked and walked and walked some more," Lynn recently wrote on her blog. "I walked from 10 a.m. until almost 4 p.m. with only a small break for a bite to eat for lunch. No break was taken for the eating of an almond croissant... That was enjoyed on the move."

Lynn, who is the Workhouse's Studio 4 Featured Artist of the Month, skipped town Oct. 30 for a month-long artist residency to paint one of Earth's most beautiful spots. Picture the quiet Rance river snaking through a town that has largely looked the same since the 13th century (Roman aqueduct included).

Many of Lynn's pieces have an ethereal feeling - pastel landscapes with watercolor underpinnings. In some paintings, thickly textured purple trees with wild perspectives jump off the canvas and could compel some art lovers to crane their necks.    

Just before her trip, Lynn talked with Patch from her studio in Lorton. The problem of the day: which of two brand new suitcases would Air France allow as a carry-on. 

"Do you think this will work? What about this one?" she asked, and then sat down for about two minutes before getting back up. "I applied for this residency and when I got it I had forgotten all about it. It's not real yet. I think it will be when I'm there."

The Type-A Landscape Artist

Lynn has garnered national awards at more than a dozen juried shows across the country, and was a graphic designer for 17 years before turning her full attention to painting.

"I just feel so lucky. How many people get to do what they really love?" she said. "I have been working at my art as long as I can remember. My mother was an art major in school and she taught me how to draw. It's the only thing I've ever been competitive about. In elementary school we'd get into coloring competitions and I'd get really upset if I didn't win." 

Lynn lives in Fairfax Station, is married and has a son. She was born in Beckley, West Virginia, and earned a fine arts degree from West Virginia University.

"Growing up in West Virginia I used to walk to the end of our street and sit under the trees and draw. I tend to gravitate to the still, small voice as opposed to the grand opera," she said.  

For five years she was a graphic designer for Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus doing ads and layouts before going freelance. "Graphic design was a means to an end, and I was always taking art classes. So, about 14 years ago, I started teaching as a docent at the National Portrait Gallery," she said. 

An artist needs inspiration, and Lynn was juried into the Workhouse in 2008.

"I'm an extrovert and I need to be around people. I had a studio at home, but isolation bothers me. If I reach an impasse with a painting I can go down the hall and see someone. It's helped me zero in and focus on my artwork," she said. "My life is balanced by three things: artwork, relationships and personal growth."

She also finds inspiration with artists Yoshitoshi, Hoksai, JMW Turner and Whistler. 

The Big Picture

So, what does Lynn Goldstein want out of life? 

"I don't want people to fall asleep when they read my obituary," she said. "One of the reasons I'm going to France, to do this, is because my mother was a good artist, but was always afraid to push the envelope, to strike out on her own. And I react to that. It's really important to me." 

One of Lynn's pieces, as payment for the residency in France, will be chosen for the permanent collection at an art museum in Dinan. 

Last week, Lynn won an award in the Workhouse's national juried exhibition "Shades of Pastel" show, but couldn't collect it due to commitments abroad. At around the same time, she wrote this post on her blog: "I have completed 1 painting and have gotten a good start on a second one. This makes me feel a bit less stressed with regard to meeting my goals while here. I have been gathering resource photos between the rain drops. The weather is, sadly, as I suspected it would be, cloudy, rainy and damp. That said, Dinan is a beautiful city and I am having a wonderful time."

Lynn Goldstein's pieces range from $250 to $2,100. You can see her work in Building W-4 at the Workhouse.