Many of us have no idea who we want to be when we grow up. However, this beautiful woman knew exactly what she wanted to do and how she wanted to share it with the world.

This month’s artist is Laureate Park resident Linda DeGrado. Her story is an inspiring journey of trials and tribulations resulting in the ultimate representation of her passion and purpose.

Linda grew up loving the outdoors. Her parents grew beautiful flowers, and her grandfather had gorgeous vegetable gardens that she admired. The days she spent looking at the rich colors of the flowers and vegetables generated a desire within her to paint. Additionally, Linda’s father read a childhood story to her: The Girl in the White Hat by W. T. Cummings. What fascinated Linda about the story was whenever the little girl put on her hat, she was able to live fantasized adventures. Linda found as a young girl that she could express herself on a white canvas. She was also passionate about the poems read by her father. One of her favorites was “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1860). In this poem, the poet describes his three daughters playing upstairs above him as night falls. He is in his study and admires their laughter and play. Linda explained that this literary art expresses their love for him and his promise to keep them in his heart forever.

As time went on, Linda’s passion to paint grew. After graduating from high school, she attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in the 1970s. During her studies, she realized she adored painting and expressing her passion in representational art. This kind of art seeks to depict the physical appearance of reality. Linda’s admired artist during her studies at the School of Art was Georgia O’Keefe, an 1800s Impressionist. Linda graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (Photography) with a minor in K-12 Education.

After college, she met her husband and had two daughters. Linda began to teach high school art, and her husband started a photography business that took photos for Sears and Kmart along with fashion news for their local newspaper. During this time, Linda did freelance illustration work for different individuals and companies.

Linda openly shared what some would call trials and tribulations with her health. In 1999, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Linda fought through the symptoms that came with the disease. In 2008, Linda suffered a massive stroke and had to have brain surgery. Thankfully, her operation was successful. She was able to regain all of her daily routines and began to paint and take photos again. During the healing process, Linda painted a few personal pieces she kept and hangs in her home. Linda has not sold her art for a living, however paints for “healing therapy.”

Those were trying times for Linda and her family. Linda’s husband was offered a job as a pastor at Audubon Park Covenant Church about four years ago here in Orlando. During his pastoral commitment, Linda created an art club for the children’s ministry called Art in the Park. The club is a summer camp and allows the children to express themselves through painting while outdoors.

Not long ago, Linda and her husband moved to Lake Nona when he accepted a new job at Nemours Children’s Hospital as the Department Manager of Spiritual Care. Linda warmly speaks about the Laureate Park community and the amount of love her family has received since moving there just a short time ago. She adores all of her neighbors, and she especially enjoys the monthly Bible study time spent with the women in her neighborhood. Linda has joined a few women artists locally who share her passion for painting.

As an artist, Linda has many achievements. One of Linda’s paintings, The Orchid, was shown in the Orlando Museum of Art about three years ago. Additionally, she was an integral figure in a matching grant with Mayor Buddy Dyer for an Orlando Youth Design Program she operated many years ago. Most recently, she has been given the opportunity to paint for the Edith Bush Foundation Welcome Center for the New Ronald McDonald House being built here in Lake Nona.

Recently, Linda suffered a serious fall whereby she had to have surgery. The surgery left her unable to use her right arm and hand. Although she spent four months of therapy with many doctors at a rehabilitation center, Linda knows her true healing came while creating her art. She practiced painting with a handmade glove that allowed her to move her fingers. She indicated that this particular feat, after all of what she had gone through over the past 17 years, was letting her know that “expression through art is therapy!” She was passionate in her voice, and shares scriptures about how God got her through her trying times and healed her. Linda completed her commissioned art work for the new Ronald McDonald House, and it will be revealed to the public in the months to come.

Linda is passionate about painting florals. She believes beauty and mystery are tools to master through imagery to tell her story. Now that it is evident to her that art is therapy, she believes the new adult coloring books can become an “art therapy tool” in our society today.

As an artist, music is her muse. When asked about her thoughts during painting sessions, she stated, “I am too absorbed and immersed in the spiritual being of who I am and exploring my gift to what I am painting.”

Linda spends a lot of time with her daughters and grandchildren and frequently takes vacations away from Lake Nona to visit them. Her future dream situation is to purchase a big red barn. In it Linda wants to create art and do all kinds of different art projects with her grandchildren when they are older. Even if that dream doesn’t exactly come true, after all she has been through as an artist, today she stated she truly is “grateful.”