About the Artist

Michael Linstrom

Interpretive Colorist (1939 to 2014)

Michael Linstrom was known as a talented colorist painter.   He developed his own unique style which was a combination of Impressionism and the more modern ideas of  the abstract painters.  His work was shown in numerous galleries in the United States and Europe.  He taught painting workshops in a number of states and offered monthly workshops specifically about color in Los Gatos, California.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1939, his family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when he was nine.  He was to spend most of his life in California living primarily in Santa Clara, Los Gatos and Aptos, where he exhibited his paintings and was an art mentor to scores of South Bay Artists.   As a young man he studied with water colorist, Jane Burnham WSA  and then, Jean Swan Gordon, a "Cape School Impressionist".  He counted his friendship with Russian Impressionist, Sergei Bongart, as an important influence.   But, Michael also studied the ideas of the abstract painters Hans Hoffman and Rex Brant.  

His typical painting process was to begin with a still life set up.  He would make a very loose, gestural charcoal sketch, spray the canvas with hairspray to fix the image and then tint the canvas (perhaps a lovely turquoise blue!).   He would begin putting down the colors he saw, but later in the process he might change to a more creative use of color.   His painting methods varied and he taught his students many different approaches..."Dark, Light, Neutral & Bright" was one of his favorites.  He was always experimenting with different palettes of colors.  One of his favorite "triadic palettes" was Indian Yellow, Rose and Turquoise.   He would do numerous small works exploiting various palettes.  

In 2013, Michael moved to Albany, Oregon.  In the final year of his life he had an exhibit of 10 works at Oregon State University, was awarded Best In Show at the annual City Hall Exhibit of Albany Artists and had a show at the Pegasus Gallery in Corvallis.   The last year of his life was filled with a flurry art exhibits, workshops and classes for his new Oregon students.  His death at the age of 74, in June of 2014, from a stroke was completely unexpected.  Michael is fondly remembered by his numerous students from a teaching career spanning 50 years!  He leaves a legacy of color in the form of hundreds of paintings brightening the homes of his many admirers.   

Article by Anna Lee Steed

Friend and former student