Artist Profile: Linda Teachey

Exploring New Possibilities

By Heike Hellmann-Brown

All facets of nature form the subject matter of artist Linda Teacheys work. Growing up in heavily wooded North Carolina, Teachey always enjoyed spending time outdoors. At age 10 it was discovered that she was near-sighted, and the prescription of eyeglasses changed her entire world. Up until then life was blurry for me, Teachey recalls. All of a sudden, everything looked crisp. Whether tree barks, leaves, moss, or frogs, birds, snakes and turtles I began noticing all their little details and patterns, and I was mesmerized.

Teachey carried this interest over into adulthood, studying forestry and landscape horticulture and working in that field for several years until moving to Canton with her husband and two kids. We picked Orange Shoals, because of its abundant green space. I wanted to make sure that my kids have access to what I had when growing up, she says.

While this self-proclaimed nature freak had been exposed to art in school, Teachey never saw it as a career. When vacationing in Little St. Simons Island a few years ago, she happened to meet an art professor from Kennesaw State University. I told him about my fascination with nature. He encouraged me to go back to school and take classes, Teachey remembers. She enrolled in the KSU art program in 2013, studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Now that my kids are grown, I am able to focus on my own dreams, although it can be intimidating to keep up with fellow students that are half my age.

Teacheys artwork is very detail-oriented. Woods are not a big blob of green, she jokes. Look at an oak tree, or a dogwood they are alive. Plants achieve all that humans do, but they stay in place. Nothing is arbitrary. I look at patterns, shapes, colors and wonder about the reason behind them. Why are leaves arranged or shaped a certain way? Most people dont even see this detail or cherish the beauty in nature.

Teacheys passion for our ecosystem led to her involvement with the Upper Etowah River Alliance. She is a board member and serves as an education volunteer, teaching students in the entire Etowah watershed how special and unique the Etowah River is. The Etowah is a very old river that has more biodiversity and fish species than the Columbia River and Colorado River combined, she explains. With 76 native fish species, the Etowah watershed is biologically one of the richest river systems in the world and it is right in our backyards!

Teachey used her artistic skills to design the alliances mascot, Carter the Darter, and to create coloring sheets for her education projects in schools and libraries. She also raises awareness for water quality through organized canoe trips, is involved with the Adopt-a-Stream program, and occasionally sells native plants at Cantons Farmers Market.

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