Meet Lindsay Overbey | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lindsay Overbey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lindsay, what makes you happy? Why?
Overcoming challenges and learning new skills that involve my hands makes me happy. I’ve always been a very tactile learner and learning new skills excites me. Aside from painting I play the piano, knit, sew, bake with sourdough, canning food, play the ukulele, and just started exploring monoprinting. I’d like to add papermaking to that list soon. Traveling makes me happy and being one with nature. Exploration of the wilderness is an integral part of my studio practice. I appreciate the freedom and fulfillment that being away from civilization offers, much like my studio refuge. I enjoy exploring terrain far away from the city, because in nature I encounter what feels magical about life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work is abstraction based on choice of forms and color relationships. I am interested in making shapes shift seamlessly between clarity and the overall haziness of so much indistinct information. The calculated arrangement of marks become the organizing structure that holds the work together. A vocabulary of marks are used to ground areas of the painting. Each stroke influences the next in a controlled, spontaneous process that adds up to an alluring language. My imagery often has a duality that evokes mixed emotions- there is a feeling of pleasantness mixed with an uneasiness. Dichotomies are a recurring theme in my work. The juxtaposing parts create a sense of wonder and adventure. My paintings explore the freedom of defying obstacles and letting joy shine through. Having skin cancer as an adolescent gave me an appreciation to see life in rosy hues, while embracing the difficult journey it might take to get there.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Favorite places to eat:
Catherine and Marys- pasta & cocktails
Andrew Micheal- Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding is a MUST!
Sugar Ghost has the best boba and bubble tea. Their ice cream is yummy too.
Restaurant Iris
Congregation Coffee- my fav is their cortado
Levee Creamery- affogato

Favorite places to visit:
Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Sheet Cake Gallery
Lorraine Motel & National Civil Rights Museum
The Pink Palace & MOSH (so many memories from my childhood)

Favorite places to hang out:
Shelby Farms
Hike at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
Canoe the Ghost River
Check out a 901 FC soccer game
Novel Bookstore
Broad Ave locally owned small businesses & shops (favs: Falling Into Place gift shop, Everbloom Designs flower shop and City & State)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first shoutout goes to the person that nominated me- Roger Allan Cleaves for his support, mentorship, constant encouragement and friendship. Beth Edwards and Melanie Spillman also deserve credit and recognition for being the teachers and mentors that nurtured my talents and provided guidance.

Website: https://www.lindsayoverbey.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loverbeystudio