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Letter to the editor

5 Questions with Lynette Wood

By RITA FARLOW, Times Staff Writer
Published December 30, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Courtesy of Lynette Wood] Artist Lynette Wood and her Saint Bernard, Maggie, stand in her Largo yard in 2006. [Courtesy of Lynette Wood] Anna is an oil-on-canvas portrait created by Lynette Wood of Largo. The painting is being shown on an artist highlight segment on the satellite cable channel Ovation TV.

Have you seen Lynette Wood lately? You might remember the Largo resident from a painting class you took, or maybe you saw her artwork on digital cable recently. Ovation TV Brighthouse Ch. 106, which is devoted to the fine arts, has been showcasing one of Wood's paintings - a commissioned oil portrait of a young girl in a red hat, called Anna - on a segment called "My Work, My Life, My Art." It features the portrait and a photo of Wood in her Largo back yard. Wood, 61, who came to Largo three years ago from Connecticut, teaches classes in watercolor, acrylics and pastels at Michael's craft stores in Largo, Clearwater and St. Petersburg.

1. You come from a family of artists? I went to Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles at the guidance of my Uncle Loren Holmwood, who was a famous listed artist. I was taught by my mother, Priscilla Holmberg, who was an award-winning artist from New York City.

2. How did you end up in Largo? I had a dear friend from Chicago who moved here. I kept coming down every February ... I didn't know Largo. I came down and said 'Oh, this is nice. This is very nice - the water, the sunshine, the light.' ... We have 21/2 hours more of light down here. It just inspires you to paint more. Light is critical to an artist.

3. What was your inspiration for capturing Anna's likeness? Anna was about 10 or 11 in the photo and she had been sick for a year, so she didn't feel great. She felt better, but she didn't feel good about herself, after being sick and being out of school for a year... After (she saw the painting), she asked her mom, 'Do I look like that?' and her mom said 'Yes.' Obviously, she is a pretty girl. She felt a little better about herself.

4. What makes a good portrait? I'm not just painting the person. I can make it look like the person, (but) the point is to capture the feeling. Then you have a piece of art ... My goal is to not only create art but to capture their essence, so that when you look at the painting it feels like the person. This is not easy, but this is the challenge of an artist.

5. What's your philosophy on teaching art? I agree with Picasso's statement. He said everyone was an artist as a child and then, as adults, we lost that intrinsic artist. And so, in my adult and children's art classes, I encourage their own style, their own approach. This is their artistic voice. I may teach watercolor techniques, but I also encourage their strength as an independent artist.

To learn more

Wood's work

To see a video including Wood's oil portrait, Anna, go to www.ovationtv.com/programs/video.aspx, click on the "My Art Collection" tab, and click on "My Art Set 2."

Wood can be reached by e-mail at Lynetteoodct@aol.com.

[Last modified December 29, 2007, 21:20:25]