After graduating from Washington Irving High School in New York City, Hungarian-born artist  Linda E. Beers (shown here on her 99th birthday) won a scholarship to the Art Student League (also in New York City). She also won the scholastic art prize out of 15,000 entries that year. Her winning entry was then reproduced in "Life" magazine in June 1941. If you click on the portraits link, it's the first painting you'll see. She was the only female artist to be featured in the magazine.

Painting was her first love. But she had others too: A husband and children. And now grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Linda found inspiration in her family for many of her paintings. She went back to school to Brooklyn College and became a Registered Nurse. Even after becoming a mother and a nurse, Linda continued to paint. She also studied at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, and then later at the Norton Museum Art School in Florida, at Palm Beach Community College, and the Armory Art School in Palm Beach.

She has had paintings hung at different museums and some were sold. Three were sold for charity on the public television station. Linda eventually stopped working as an RN (though she maintained her license till she was about 90 years old) but she hasn't stopped painting. Taking on a new challenge on her 97th birthday, she started painting her grandson's cats. And at 99, she painted her great-granddaughter's wedding portrait.  She loves to paint her world; to feel, to express what she sees. When she knows a painting is good -- true and right -- then it is her high.  If someone else sees it that way too, then great. How can she lose?