Artist Statement

I am a Willamette Valley artist who works exclusively in watercolors. I have always loved the way watercolors blend on the paper. However, my art process didn’t begin until my children were grown. It started as a way of balancing the more serious parts of my life. As I improved, I became interested in expressing myself through my style and through the subjects I paint. I have always wanted to paint loosely, but my style has developed into a fairly realistic one, and I have learned to embrace that as part of my expression. For example, many people have described my paintings as “gentle” or “tender.”

I paint a wide variety of subjects, but watercolor portraits are my passion! I paint slowly and carefully, enjoying the process of looking back and forth from photo to painting to capture a person’s likeness and personality. I feel that this desire to look below the surface is related to my years as a mental health therapist which gave me lots of experience in understanding and appreciating people on a deep level.

I have developed a special interest in how art can help with emotions, struggles, and faith. I recently taught a series of classes at my church called “From the Inside Out” using art and music. Each class provided opportunity to “process” reactions to the art shown and to stimulate thinking and growth through group discussion. I would like to be able to offer this to other groups as well.

Resume

Much of Debbie’s learning comes from videos, workshops, books, and friends, but Ted Nuttall (portrait artist) and Beth Verheyden (design expert) have both significantly influenced her work. 

Debbie taught watercolor classes on the north Oregon coast, but she is not teaching currently except for occasionally. Her paintings have shown and won awards in local, state, and regional juried shows, including the Watercolor Society of Oregon, Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, Emerald Art Show in Springfield, Oregon, and Trail’s End Art Gallery in Gearhart, Oregon.