ABC News has posted a few of my portraits from my art exhibit “Healing: A Photography Project of Families with Children with Special Needs”. Click on:

The online article mentions my photography book for sale. Please click here to order this special book from the project. All profits from the book will go towards the charity for The Stramski Center of Miller Children’s Hospital helping children with special needs.

The exhibit is now appearing at Phantom Galleries LA at 3rd and Elm in Long Beach and will only be up this Wednesday and Thursday, October 21 – 22 from 5-8pm and Saturday October 24 from 6-9pm.

We’ve had such an overwhelming response to the photography project, Healing, that I created. So, we have opened up a couple of more evening showings of the exhibit based on several requests. We will show the project on Saturdays, October 17th and October 24th from 6pm to 9pm. We also just added Wednesday and Thursday, October 21st and 22nd from 5pm to 8pm. I hope you can come and be moved by the stories of these wonderful people.

Here are some of the comments from several visitors to the photo project:

“Your work is wonderful. I can feel the love it expresses by parents on each photograph. Great work. God bless you!”

“Beautiful artwork. I told you in person, but I feel that this is an important message that people need to feel, understand and comprehend. It’s personal, unique, enlightening and darn it, it just captivates the meaning. Thank you.”

“Thank you so much for showing the beautiful side of the incredibly beautiful people. . .Thank you for your work.”

“I must admit that your work is very touching.”

“Great work for bringing a sensitivity to these diseases/problems faced by individuals/families.”

“Awesome work and message! Wish the entire world would come! Thank you for bringing this to the forefront and celebrating it!”

“We were very thankful to be here.”

“Magnificent!”

Here are some articles written about the project by some great reporters in Long Beach and Signal Hill.

We’ve had amazing responses and requests from the portrait exhibit called “Healing”.

The Phantom Galleries LA has requested that we extend our stay and remain open on the next two Saturday nights, October 17th and October 24th. Our current exhibit is located at 3rd and Elm in downton Long Beach.

I will make a concerted effort to bring several boxes of tissues as I noted this last time it was needed. I hope you all can make it! See the previous blogs to know details.

Tonight is the debut of the special Healing photography project. We have had many stories written about this in the press. If you cannot make the upcoming events, don’t fret. You can purchase a copy of the photography book. Profits from the sale of the book will be donated to The Steel Magnolias, the fundraising group of The Stramski Center. Just click on the book cover below or here.

This year my three children turned a wonderful corner. They became much more independent and I took a great sigh. I sat back and looked at them proudly one day and realized that my best work was done. I knew then that it was time for the next chapter, to give back, because I am so grateful for having a wonderful husband and three children who are healthy.

I started looking for a project to take on so that I could give back to my community, one that would blend the three great concepts in my life: family, art and charity. When I found the Stramski Center in Long Beach, California I knew that I had found a perfect match, a project that would resonate with me. The Stramski Center is an amazing clinic of Miller’s Children’s Hospital. They are great healers to many children of special needs and their families.

When we showed the portraits that I created to the Long Beach Arts Council, they placed it in the G.L.O.B.A.L. project for October’s art’s initiative with Phantom Galleries LA.

Above is a sample of the photography project that I created. I invite you to come on October 10th at 3rd and Elm in Downtown Long Beach to see the rest of the art project.

The Beauty of Nature’s Forms

The Landscape

I’ve been asked to display my flowers again this Thursday, September 3rd at Gallery 741 in San Pedro (see previous post).

On Friday, September 4th, I will have yet another photo exhibit on First Fridays in Long Beach on Atlantic Ave., where we’ll have several of my favorite flower and female form studies on display at Elise’s Tea Room. You can find us in the Grand Tea Room and French Blue Room where Jean-Luc will set the mood on his classical piano. I will be there and hope that you will join me at this fun Long Beach event.

Septmember 4, 2009
6:30 – 10:00pm

Elise’s Tea Room
3924 Atlantic Ave
Long Beach, CA 90807-3502
(562) 424-2134

I am known primarily as a portrait photographer. Many people don’t know that I have a secret passion for flower photography. The secret’s not so secret anymore.

What began as a way to show my children the beauty of light and form in the garden as they were looking at our array of strange looking garden bugs became my creative release and obsession and now, to my surprise and delight, is being welcomed into art galleries.

I continued past the teaching phase with my children and starting going into the garden alone, amassing thousands of images from my garden, my friend’s gardens, my neighbor’s gardens and on our nature walks. My family is patient with my constant sidetracking so much that the kids now know that if mommy is not with them, I’m photographing one of the beautiful blooms that evolve over the seasons, obsessed with getting the right portrait of a flower, with the same determination that I use in my portrait sessions. So now I can say I join the minions of flower photographers, but I tend to think of my self as a flower portrait photographer.

I hope you join us tomorrow night, August 6, 2009 as my biggest showing of my flower portraits will take place. I share Gallery 741 with two other nature artists. Thank you Gallery 741 for asking me to be a part of the show.

The exhibition, titled En Plein Air, is comprised of still life and landscapes carefully selected to celebrate the beauty and form of the outdoor environment. In the tradition of the “plein air” movement, the artists have stepped out of the studio to create each piece using natural light. While the subject matter of the artwork ranges from flowers to seascapes, the unifying theme is the glory of the world around us.

Please join us for the opening reception of En Plein Air during San Pedro’s famous First Thursday Art Walks:

Thursday, August 6th, 2009
6:00PM – 9:00PM
Gallery 741
741 S. Pacific Ave, San Pedro CA 90731

I’m still thinking about my portrait session with the Wu family today. It was so wonderful catching up while creating family photography that fits to their life. The Wu’s have been my clients for several years now and I have photographed their growing family many times. I can’t tell you how honored I am to be a part of really wonderful people’s lives.

You know, most times that people are new to a studio experience they are nervous. I understand that. You are in the center stage with someone staring at you, what a self-conscious feeling! Having been a model many years ago I worked through that feeling. I have been there so I get that and I help my clients through that awkward feeling.

At this point, photographing the Wu’s felt like just hanging out. There is a magic that happens when we get to that familiar place. . . art. . .personality. . .connection. It all happens and it was meant to happen. I can’t wait to sign their wall portraits.

These are the things that get me so jazzed.

Who Let the Dogs Out!?

I photograph lots of families. And of course, pets are a part of every growing family. For some reason dogs just love me. Maybe it’s because I’m a giant kid. Maybe because the feeling is mutual. And so, pet photography is just a natural extension of family photography. I’m really excited because of a special promotion and fundraiser that we are going to do.

The sounds of barking dogs will be bellowing from our Pasadena studio on August 8th as we hold our first “Dog Days of Summer” fundraising event for the Pasadena Humane Society. Bring in a large bag of dog or cat food and you’ll receive a free 15-minute session and 5×7 portrait of your furry friend. It’s going to be a howling good time!

WHO: Linnea Lenkus Fine Art Portrait Studios, by appointment only so PLEASE CALL

WHAT: Dog Days of Summer

WHERE: 545 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, 91105 (corner of California Blvd.)

WHEN: Saturday, August 8, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

WHY: To raise donations for the Pasadena Humane Society

By appointment only. Please call 626-744-9104. I hope to see you there!