Linda Martinello’s paintings translate the essence of place with sheared swaths of drafting film and vibrantly-hued paint. Martinello’s practice is largely travel-based, often spending months in foreign places making observational drawings, notes and videos. She then revisits these gathered materials back at her studio to create studies that are followed by larger works that weave together elements of painting, drawing and collage. While her expressive drawing loosely follows the curves of architectural and geographical details, her use of vivid colour evokes the feeling and qualities of light. The resulting works convey a visual language that resonates with the energy of the natural world.
Linda Martinello was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1980. She is currently based in Caledon, Ontario and teaches at the Ontario College of Art + Design. Martinello completed her MFA at the University of Waterloo and received an Honors BA from the University of Toronto. Her work is included in many prominent private, public and corporate collections including BMO Financial Group, TD Bank and Telus. She is the recipient of several awards and research grants including SSHRC Graduate Research Scholarship and University of Waterloo President’s Graduate Scholarship. In 2019, she completed a major commission for Cadillac Fairview for a lobby in downtown Toronto.