Long-time artist Linda Pirri will take a sabbatical from the annual Sawdust Art Festival after 15 consecutive years of exhibiting in the show, and is moving to the Kohala coast in Hawaii.
Pirri started her Sawdust career back in 1998 when she relocated to Laguna Beach from Los Angeles. At the time, she was “ready for a change” and wanted to fulfill her dream of becoming an artist in the Festival.
After graduating from Cal State Fullerton in the ‘70s with a major in art, Pirri fulfilled a 20-year career with a leasing property management agency, rather than a career as an artist. Although she had been painting horses since the age of 5, Pirri did not have the opportunity to fulfill her dream until 1998, where she flourished as a silk painter in her own booth.
This year, Pirri is closing another chapter of her life and plans to move to the Big Island with her husband of 28 years, David, after closing the festival’s 46th season. Pirri plans to continue to paint three afternoons per week and will explore art gallery or studio opportunities on the islands, while enjoying other recreational activities, such as playing tennis. Her art style will most likely evolve while she is living on the slower-paced Kohala coast, whether it is her subject matter or her newfound inspiration of painting abstracts in oils with looser textures.
