Linda Elksnin Art

Linda Elksnin’s inspiration comes from textiles, and folk and outsider artists, as well as mainstream artists such as Mark Rothko, Romare Bearden, and Marc Chagall. She enjoys incorporating symbols, shapes, and subject matter from a variety of cultures, including those of the American South, Appalachia, and Haiti, as well as the aboriginal people of Panama and Australia. Linda uses a variety of media (acrylic, watercolor, gouache, color pencil, pastel) and works on paper, canvas, and wood. Whether abstract or loosely based on reality, the common thread of all her work is color and graphically pleasing design. Her work is often described as whimsical and happy.

Linda’s passion for art began in elementary school when she took classes at the Philadelphia College of Art. Shortly after earning a BFA from Syracuse University, her career path took a different turn when she taught art to children with disabilities. After earning master’s and doctoral degrees in special education from the University of Virginia, Elksnin came to The Citadel  in Charleston, SC to coordinate the Graduate Special Education Program. She retired as Professor Emerita in 2006 and returned to painting full time.