When Linda Carpenter's flowers in her backyard won't grow, she is still able to bring them to life with the help of her paintbrush. "Some things don't grow the way I want them to, so I paint them," said Carpenter, a long time resident of Hicksville whose work will be on display at the Bethpage Public Library throughout January. "My morning glories don't grow because of their spot, but they grow in the paintings."

Stemming from childhood memories, Carpenter used those recollections to create her painting subject - flowers. "I remember my grandmother taking me out into the backyard to see the morning Glories," she said. "My mother would point out the velvety, pastel magnolias as we walked to the store."

While in college, Carpenter began painting with oil paints, acrylics and watercolors on D'Arches paper. She brought that knowledge to Norcross Greeting Cards in Manhattan where she worked as an art director.

"Flowers and greeting cards are still my love," she said. "Quite often I turn a floral painting into a card to send an uplifting message."

When she got married and started a family, Carpenter took a job at the Bethpage Public Library as a staff artist. Once her children were grown, she worked in advertising at Litmor Publications in Garden City. She currently is a graphic artist at Newsday.

After taking classes conducted by Sumi-e artist Carolyn Clark, Carpenter's interest in flowers and art increased to another level and she decided to change her focus to Asian brush painting, a form of Sumi-e art. "To watch Carolyn produce magic on the rice paper is inspiring," Carpenter said.

Sumi-e is an ancient art form that comes from Asia and is usually done in black ink on white rice paper followed by color. Each part of the painting is done in one brush stroke, however, the brush can be filled with many colors. Today's genre of Sumi-e and Asian brush strokes favor color more than black and white.

"The general rule is not to go over a stroke a second time. Only to add accents or calligraphy that make veins in leaves and pollen in flowers," she said.

Carpenter has traveled to Hawaii, Spain, Columbia, Chile, Mexico and Canada and has visited local arboretums in order to get fresh ideas and variety to add to her paintings. However, an Asian brush painting is not complete until it is stamped with a red seal, called a chop. It can depict a name, a subject matter or anything of meaning.

Carpenter chose her name in Japanese because she said she appreciates the discipline and dedication of the Japanese and values their artwork. "It is meaningful because it shows me what you can do with practice," she said. "It means discipline which we don't have a lot of in this day and age."

Even in the winter, Carpenter's garden grows on rice paper. Her exhibit "Shades of Asian Brush Strokes" will be on display at the Bethpage Public Library, which is located at 47 Powell Avenue, through Jan. 31. It can be viewed Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. The exhibit is part of the Town of Oyster Bay Rotational Art Exhibit and sponsored by the town's Department of Community and Youth Services - Cultural and Performing Arts Division. For more information, call 931-3907.