Lin Fischer was born in Healdsburg, CA as a third generation northern Californian. Her BFA degree came from UCDavis in the 1960s where her major was painting and subject was the figure. There was a feeling of “do your own thing” in the art department, which was very heady and freeing. Later on, being in the San Francisco Bay Area, she enjoyed viewing the work of David Park, Nathan Oliveira, Richard Diebenkorn and Joan Brown, all of which contributed to her work in the studio. The MFA came in 1993 from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, where she taught masters candidates painting after graduation. Lin works and lives in Oakland, CA. Her paintings have been shown across the US and are included in many museum and private collections.
Images occur to me and I paint them. I am triggered by something I see - part of a photograph, light falling on a person a certain way, or a visual that just pops into my mind. When I go to the canvas I have an idea of what I want. After that I plunge into the painting. There is no sketching first. Trusting my hand and the brush to do the job, I am enamored with paint slipping into paint, creating the mood for me. — Lin Fischer
Lin Fischer’s paintings of figures and landscapes explore the natural environment from a Californian perspective. Drawing on the legacy of the Bay Area Figurative movement, Fischer’s partly abstracted images transport the viewer to dreamlike and serene landscapes, some of which include figures or animals. Fischer describes her painting practice as a way to get in touch with a higher power. Her distinctive brushwork guides the viewer along the planes of the landscapes, implying breezes, rippling water, and waving grasses. The blocks of color coalesce to form familiar scenes of the delta, foothills, and coastline that comprise California.
In the Harrison Street window, Red Sky at Night depicts two swans meeting in a large body of water under swirling skies in magenta, purple, orange, and white. Their beaks touch, forming a heart shape between their long necks. Fischer’s brushstrokes and spatters of paint move the viewer through this meditative moment, encouraging a contemplation of the connection between two animals, the open landscape at dusk, the changing light and the depth of the water.
In the windows on Third Street, Fischer presents two paintings: Nude at the Beach and White Tears. Nude at the Beach highlights her masterful handling of color and light. The figure gleams in the sunny landscape, surrounded by blocks of color that move the eye around all sections of the canvas. Similarly, the drips of white paint trickling through the verdant greens of White Tears command the viewer’s attention, capturing the essence of a salty ocean spray. Fischer brings these moments of clarity to the viewer as a reminder of our shared humanity and the importance of spending time in nature.
— Roll Up Project, 2019