Linda Barnicott began her career as a portrait artist. Today she is beloved and sought-after for her enchanting portraits of Pittsburgh. Using rich pastel colors, she captures the unique beauty of famous Pittsburgh places with a charm all her own.

It began in 1989 with the now-famous tribute to downtown holiday shopping entitled “Meet Me Under Kaufmann’s Clock.” The work immediately won the hearts of Pittsburghers, who have been meeting friends under the clock downtown for years. From this work Linda created several series of Pittsburgh scenes, capturing warm memories that are loved by generations.

In 1995, she began painting a series of Kennywood Park scenes that has become even more popular. Since then, she has brought to life the magic of every amusement park in the region, including Story Book Forest, Idlewild Park, SandCastle Water Park and West View Park, which closed in 1977.

With roots as a portrait artist, Barnicott includes family members and friends in every painting. “If you look carefully, you can watch my daughters grow up over the years, starting with the Kennywood Series,” says Barnicott. “And my husband appears in just about all of them.” Barnicott begins each piece with photographs of the scene. She takes family and friends with her, setting up their posed positions. It was a hot day in the middle of July when they stood in full winter gear beneath Kaufmann’s clock for her reference shots. She makes sketches to use as reference, too. To paint a couple in one of the old aluminum boats on Kennywood Lagoon, she sketched some friends posed on a bench in her yard. The man held a rake and a hoe instead of oars. After a little Barnicott magic, the two now float peacefully on the water in “Coasting Through Kennywood.”

Barnicott was chosen to be the official artist of the 1996 Three Rivers Regatta. And since 1998, she has been commissioned by the American Cancer Society of Greater Pittsburgh to create the painting used on their annual Christmas card. In 2000, Barnicott received a special Proclamation from the City of Pittsburgh, commemorating her “tremendous contribution in capturing and preserving many sites in and around the Pittsburgh Area.” This is an honor she holds dear, as a largely self-taught artist. Barnicott did study, on several occasions, under the tutelage of international portrait artist Daniel Greene of upper state New York.

Each year, Barnicott’s endearing scenes become more popular. Her paintings and collectibles are sold worldwide on the internet, and appear in well over 100 regional galleries and gift shops. Barnicott works in a studio at her Green Tree home, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.