ABOUT DEBRA JOY GROESSER
I have a quote by Andrew Wyeth on the wall above my easel in my studio. It says “I believe one’s art goes as far and as deep as one’s love goes.” That quote describes perfectly my passion for painting, especially plein air landscape painting. Being outside, in God’s creation, provides me with endless inspiration for my work. It also allows me to combine my love of the “great outdoors” with my love of painting.
Because it’s necessary to work quickly and intuitively “en plein air” due to the fleeting light and constantly changing conditions, there is a freshness and immediacy about these paintings that is difficult to duplicate in the studio.
Painting from life enables one to see subtle color nuances and values that are not possible to see when working from photographs. Careful observation of these subtleties has taught me how to capture the essence, the spirit, of a place rather than just a literal translation of the subject…the atmosphere, the light, the mood.
My goal is to render my subjects in such a way that the viewer will feel what I felt as I painted…what attracted me to the subject in the first place. Everything I experience out in the field influences my painting…sounds, smells, wind, weather, my emotions and reactions, my love for the place…it all becomes a part of the work. It is a very spiritual experience for me, and my hope is that those who view my work will feel that too.