Deborah Nord
 
I have lived on the Mendocino Coast for over twenty years now and am just as taken with its natural beauty as I was when I first visited. I started out as ceramicist and became enamored of painting after an injury prevented me from working in clay. It wasn’t that different in that it was still about form, line and texture, shadow, light and color.

I love painting. I love being outdoors. I love the challenge of interpreting what I see and hopefully, making that leap of vision for the person who is observing my painting. I try to capture the essence of the scene. The colors and harmonies and play of light in a particular setting continue to fascinate me. It makes for an entirely joyful experience. I am constantly learning to look more closely at what I see. It is the beginning of seeing the truth in nature and in every other situation. In this way painting is a spiritual practice. I am hoping that this shows up in my work.

I paint in oils and love the lustrous, creamy quality of it. It is like clay for me in that it has a sensuality that water media and pastels don’t. I am not counting out that I may work in those medias also. During my college days I was an art major but in the recent past have had more formal training with painter Adam Wolpert in Occidental.

I am always pursuing more learning in workshops and private study. My favorites are the Impressionists and Luminists. I am in search of my own vision and own voice as a painter.