Today, Linnea’s work has turned into a cottage industry for herself and her family. Husband Michael, an MBA, handles the business side. Daughter Johanna designs the website and has her own popular “Hannah” calendar series. Daughter Kate used to help out, but is now an award-winning teacher in Hawaii.
   Linnea lives and works in a circa-1900 carriage house the family bought when they relocated to Seattle. “It became clear if we were going to grow, we couldn’t do it in Aspen. Getting in and out by plane for trade shows and press checks was too difficult from there.” Her home is quirky, she says. “It has a lot of charm. You can still see the three arches in front where the horse-drawn carriages would enter.” Her pride and joy is a lush city yard she tends herself “for therapy.” In season, it explodes with acanthus, violets, and blue hydrangeas.

(g) and (h) A sneak peek at illustrations for Linnea’s 2009 calendar. “It’s a complicated process. I often try out and reject as many as 50 different concepts for a calendar drawing before finding one I like.”

Aside from her calendars and cards, Linnea has produced two children’s books. One reviewer called Mouse Mess—about a mouse who invades a family’s kitchen—”a tasty frolic.” Her second book, Song of Night, was a collaboration: Daughter Kate wrote it and Linnea did the drawings. “Working with my daughters has been a rare and wonderful opportunity. When they were young, I saw them as children, but I’ve also had the chance see them as fully capable adults who are good at what they do. What a blessing.”

(i) The bulletin board is a collage of personally meaningful images, like the center photo of the Hawaiian garden where one of her daughters married.  (j) The antique portable typewriter still functions for short notes. “I don’t find new things like computers interesting to look at.”

true colors page 1 | 2

archive »
Printer Friendly Article