Linda Shaffer

Love Safari, Abstract Painting

2024

Artist Comments
Artist Linda Shaffer drew inspiration from images of a giraffe to depict the playfulness of love and relationships. A pronounced heart shape at the center underscores the theme of affection. Linda created the piece using photographs from an African safari trip, antique papers, hand-printed and handmade papers from Bhutan and Nepal, washi paper, graphite, and origami elements. This collage celebrates both the beauty of wildlife and the nuanced expressions of love.

About the Artist
Artist Linda Shaffer creates intricately layered abstract collages based on her travels. "My defining art moment was when I was eleven years old and I got to visit Van Briggle Pottery in Colorado Springs," says Linda. She watched mesmerized as the potter created a beautiful piece of art as if by magic from a lump of brown wet mud. After high school, Linda became a registered nurse and spent her days off making pottery at a local studio. As her nursing career advanced—from labor and delivery to ICU, trauma, and eventually college nursing—Linda returned to school, earning a bachelor’s in business administration. She chose art classes for every elective and even built her own clay studio. Later, she earned a master’s in public health and became a tenured college professor, while taking art classes every semester, where she discovered a passion for painting and printmaking. After retiring early from teaching, Linda pursued her interest in fine jewelry by attending the Gemological Institute of America. Since 2011, she has been working full-time as a painter and jeweler. When Linda's not making art, she enjoys golfing with a close circle of friends. She's made two hole-in-ones and plans for more.

Words that describe this painting: collage, hand-printed paper, monoprint, hearts, script, giraffe, safari, origami, abstract, landscape, mixed media artwork, beige

Love Safari
Linda Shaffer
Antique paper, hand-printed paper, handmade paper, photograph, graphite, washi paper, and origami on stretched canvas
Finished white edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front and back
2024
24 in. h x 24 in. w x 1.5 in. d
4 lbs. 0 oz.