Little Boy Blue A percentage of our profits go to the Sugar Cane Children of the Dominican Republic

Lin and Joanne with spouses on the zip line...scary

Meet Lin

A native New Englander Lin Bourie has been an artist most of her life. She and her husband George have raised their three daughters in Central Massachusetts.She possesses a keen interest in capturing the historical significance of “Hometown USA” using watercolor renderings.  She enjoys researching historical buildings of area towns.  Although primarily a watercolorist, Lin enjoys dabbling with other mediums as well.

Her latest projects include murals, portraits, house portraits, jewelry, and producing prints and cards of her original work. Hand colored photographs are a new addition to her art. She has illustrated a children’s book about the Stari Most Bridge in Mostar Bosnia.  Currently she is writing and illustrating picture books, connecting children of the world by sharing their lives through story. Her work helps support a non-profit ministry that impacts the lives of disenfranchised women and children.

Recently, she presented Auburn High with a framed print of the old high school. This print was originally done for her daughters and has become a favorite of graduates over the years.  Some of the prints have made their way to many countries as graduating exchange students return home with a visual remembrance of their time spent at AHS.  

Lin has developed a unique interpretative style of watercolor painting, which emphasizes lighting and shadowing giving the work a sharpness and clarity. Murals, banners and backdrops for event planning have been added to her resume and have expanded her talent beyond watercolor.

She has been commissioned by numerous private and corporate collectors, locally Shawmut Bank and the Auburn Mall. 

Her paintings have been shown in one-person and juried exhibitions in Central MA, The State House Boston MA, Cape Cod Art Association, and Fisher’s Island Gallery, CT. She was awarded first place for original watercolor entitled “Quiet Shadows” when exhibiting with some of New England’s best-known Blackstone Valley artists. Lin headed the Artisan’s Networking Program in Holden, MA, as part of a community project, and taught watercolor classes at the Jewish Community Center, Worcester MA.
Her resources included a six-week watercolor course based on the building blocks of art covering all the special techniques of watercolor.  This course has proven to be a well-rounded foundation giving students a sense of accomplishment and instilling a confidence to pursue further artistic development. Lin has taught basic art to pre-school children at The Belfry Book Shop on Millbury Street in Worcester.  She offers classes for older children and adults upon request.
She has eight years experience in archival framing at Norback’s Custom Framing Worcester, MA, where she drew on her artistic ability to enhance the artwork being framed while insuring that the work was conservationally sound.
Linda Bourie  -  85 Waite Street, Leicester, MA  01524
508-340-3314   -   lbourie1@charter.net

Meet Jo

Also a native New Englander Joanne Spurr has led a very different life personally and professionally.  At nineteen she entered a convent and for the next twelve years she dedicated her life to prayer, meditation and teaching.  It did not appear to be the life she had envisioned and so she left with nothing but the clothes on her back.  Disowned by her family she struck out on her own and eventually found a new career and new playmates.  Presently, she is married to Malcolm and is priveledged to call his daughters hers.  Amazingly a woman who had no children now has 5 grandchildren upon whom she lavishes much love.  Lin and Joanne have been friends for a long time.  When Joanne retired after twenty-four years as a medical social worker with most of those years in administration it seemed logical that Joanne could use her gift of administration to help Lin market her art.  A partnership was born. 

Presently, we are learning about retail sales and art.  Hopefully, we will soon display some of our products at Tower Hill, in Boylston, Ma and where Lin may exhibit in the years to come.  We recently began consignment at Yesteryears in Leicester, Massachusetts.  We have found that the best shows at which to represent Lin's art are those that deal only with art and/or hand made crafts.  These are very expensive with no guarentee of a sale, but definitely the way to get our name out.  Lin has joined the Massasoit Art Guild and we both spoke at one of the meetings regarding marketing Art in an ebay store, a concept that some may not have considered before.

I am having the time of my life.  Lin and I laugh quite a bit as we travel through these uncharted waters.  Mostly we laugh at ourselves.  Lin is afraid of success and I'm afraid of failure.  I so believe in Lin and her excellent gift.  I can go anywhere and show her work with pride and always hear how talented she is when they look through her portfolio.  The heart in our art is the joy that it brings to us and others.  Just look at our store.