Artist Statement
I have always been drawn to the things that make me stop and look a little longer. It might be an incredible sunset, flowers glowing in the light, reflections on the water, a beautiful old tree, something whimsical, or something completely unexpected that I come across while traveling. More often than not, my first thought is, I would love to paint that!!
Travel is my greatest source of inspiration. I love discovering new places and noticing the colors, textures, light, and little details that make each one different. I take way too many pictures when I travel, but in my defense, I’m always looking for my next painting!
Color and texture is a huge part of what excites me about painting. I love rich, beautiful color and I’m not afraid to make it a little more vibrant when the painting calls for it. I’m much more interested in capturing what made a scene feel special to me than in copying a picture exactly.
My style falls somewhere between realism and impressionism. I want you to recognize what you’re looking at, but I also want you to see the brushstrokes, soft edges, texture, and my choices that make it a painting.
I paint flowers, landscapes, still lifes, water, and scenes inspired by places I’ve traveled, but they all begin for essentially the same reason. Something caught my eye and made me want to remember it.
If one of my paintings eventually hangs in someone else’s home, I hope it gives them a little bit of that same feeling. Maybe it reminds them of somewhere they’ve been or simply makes them happy every time they walk past it.
Artist Bio
Deb Montgomery is a Michigan based artist who loves color, travel, nature, and finding beautiful things to paint.
Her love of art began early with visits to the Art Institute of Chicago. Growing up in the Chicago area meant she could return again and again, and those visits stayed with her throughout her life. Her career, however, took a very different path. Deb became a nuclear medicine technologist, but she never stopped being interested in art or wanting to learn more about it.
Over the years, she continued painting and seeking out opportunities to learn. She spent two years being mentored by a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago and has studied with artists including Jim Connolly and Cindy Cutler Awrey. She has also taken classes at Ghost House Studio in Grand Rapids and participated in summer art workshops at Interlochen.
Deb originally worked primarily in acrylics before discovering oil painting and realizing she had found the medium she truly loved. The beautiful blending, depth of color, texture, and slower working time of oils suited the way she wanted to paint.
Today, Deb creates her work in West Michigan, where inspiration isn’t particularly hard to find. Between Lake Michigan, the dunes, gardens, changing seasons, and her travels beyond Michigan, there always seems to be something begging to become a painting.
Her work combines realism with an impressionistic touch and a love of rich color. She continues to take classes, experiment, and learn because for Deb, becoming a better artist is part of the fun. There is always another technique to try and definitely another painting waiting to happen.
