Lin Wilson stands next to her through-the-seasons paintings of the Marblehead Lighthouse at Arts in the Park. Her work is available at the Marblehead Lighthouse Gift Shop. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – When Lin Wilson was a child, her extended family spent a week each summer at Greenwood Cottages in Marblehead. Her immediate family was joined by aunts, uncles, and cousins, and together they made countless memories at the lakeshore and at Marblehead Lighthouse. Today, Wilson is fighting stage 4 lung cancer, and between scans and treatments, she spends much of her time painting her memories of Marblehead. Wilson was one of over 100 vendors at the 68th Annual Arts in the Park hosted by Port Clinton Artists’ Club at Lakeview Park on Aug. 1 and 2.

“As a child, we would always vacation in the area. Marblehead is near and dear to my family’s heart,” Wilson said. “I just love the area. This is where I made the best memories of my childhood.”

Port Clinton Artists’ Club members, from left, Meg Blackburn, Annette Carnicom, and Deb Ammons, who is the club’s vice president, volunteer at Arts in the Park on Aug. 1. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Wilson lived in Marblehead for a time as an adult and now lives in Amherst, where she paints and creates. She sold prints of her lighthouse and nature oil paintings, along with lighthouse apparel, blankets, and pillows. She named her business LINspiration because she hopes her art and her personal story will inspire many.

Wilson’s cancer journey began when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2015. Advanced lung cancer patients often receive bleak diagnoses, but after years of treatment, Wilson’s cancer is still stable.

“I never asked a time because I knew it wouldn’t be good,” Wilson said. “But I’m still here, and I’m still painting. I’m a living miracle. That’s why I called my business LINspiration.”

Port Clinton Artists’ Club member, Lia Casados, creates a charcoal work during Arts in the Park. Casados, who works in charcoal, ink, paint, and brusho, has established herself as an extraordinary artist in the local community. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Wilson was traveling the world working in international trade when cancer changed her life. She set down her briefcase and picked up her paintbrush and impacted the world in a whole new way. Her philosophy of life can be summed up in the title of one of her butterfly paintings. It is called, “If Nothing Ever Changed, There Would Be No Butterflies.”

The world is much better with Wilson’s extraordinary art inspiring those around her.

Wilson’s art can be purchased www.LINspirational.com, and she will sell her work at the Lakeside Marblehead Lighthouse Festival on Oct. 10. Her work is also available inside the Marblehead Lighthouse Gift Shop.

Arts in the Park is hosted annually by the Port Clinton Artist’s Club, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. For more information, visit www.portclintonartistsclub.com.