Meet The Artist

HEATHER LINETTE

A year ago, I wasn’t sure I would paint again.

What began as weakness in my hand quickly became something much bigger. Within months, I lost the ability to walk normally, developed bilateral foot drop, and found myself facing a rare neurological disease that changed nearly every part of my life. There were hospital stays, uncertainty, fear, and moments when the future felt impossible to imagine.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I picked up a paintbrush. At first, painting was simply a way to escape. A way to focus on something other than doctors, diagnoses, and what I had lost. But slowly, it became something more. It became a way to remember who I was.

The paintings in this collection are not really about beaches, boats, sunsets, oyster shacks, or old Florida—though all of those things appear often. They are about freedom, belonging, friendship, resilience, and the quiet peace we find when we return to the people and places that matter most.

Many of these scenes are inspired by Florida’s Gulf Coast, where I spent years collecting memories, watching sunsets, and falling in love with the water. Others are inspired by people I have loved, stories I’ve carried, and moments I never wanted to forget.

Even now, my hand shakes and weakens. Some days, I wonder how many paintings I will still be able to create. But that uncertainty has only deepened my determination. There are still too many stories waiting to be painted, too much beauty left to capture, and too many moments worth remembering.

“The ocean has a way of reminding us who we are, where we’ve been, and what truly matters.”

Heather Linette
Coastal Narrative Oil Painter