Showings
Past Shows:
- Belmont - 2004
- Plowhaus - 2006
- The Encore - 2008
- The Indigo - 2008 (remembering my father) read statement...
My name is Katie Linde; I am a painter. I graduated from Belmont University in 2004 with a BFA in studio art. I am also a mom and the proud daughter of songwriter Hall of Fame, Dennis Linde. When my Father passed away, a part of me did too. So, I hung on to all the little pieces of him: His smell on the leather recliner. His Hawaiian T-shirts still hanging in his closet. His sticky note reminders scattered among the house. His music studio became a cocoon filled with dusty magic, reminding us of the soaring talent it once held. I treasured it all.
My dad once said, "My children's imaginations are my biggest inspiration." He treasured our creativity, because he knew the importance of imagination. Dad would never say if magical places, creatures or people were real or make believe, or if the human mind could make the impossible, possible. He would just say, "If you believe it is, it is."
When I first decided to put this show together, I wanted to some how maintain dads’ memory through my art. I perfected each painting for him; I wanted to make him proud. I wanted to tell a beautiful story with paint, like he had done so many times with words. Towards the end of my last piece I discovered that I had been hanging on to, "what was". Then, unwillingly I started to let go of him. I untied him from my hurt and I watched him fly. Now I see, "what is". I remember who he is and not what he was. My dad is no longer an empty cocoon; he is an angel and he believes in me. He gave me the gift of imagination, creativity and helps me to see all my possibilities. These paintings are gifts of, "what is": Inspiration given to me from my father, Dennis Linde. Thank you.
- The Indigo Hotel and Lifestyle Magazine hosts -
Katie Linde and Juliana Cole in "where art and music become one" read statement...Mothers are a cocoon for their children. The beauty of a cocoon is what lies inside. When I unravel my arms from my little girl, I hope she feels confident enough to reveal her "true self", to be adventurous, to feel beautiful and to fly on her own.
I have always had a great love of art. Art, no matter the form, believes in you. It seeks you out, fills you with inspiration, and encourages you to find the confidence to reveal yourself to the world. As a mother, I strive to provide the same inspiration to my child.
I think one of the best ways to provide encouragement to children is to lead by example. Some say "to see is to believe". I say, "to believe is to see." I want my children to learn from me, appreciate the things that inspire me, and understand my "true self." Consequently, I hope they are inspired to seek out the greatest treasure; their authentic, creative, "true self." I pray they are never afraid to tread the arduous road to self –discovery. I will always believe in my children, and I hope they will always believe in themselves.
This installation is for all mothers and for the inspiration they provide. Being a mother is not easy. We are responsible for our children's development into strong beautiful adults. We are their cocoon. Someday, however, we will have to reluctantly unravel our arms and let our children fly. Hopefully, they will fly back, confident in who they are, and full of inspiration to share with the world.