About the Artist

DEBBIE RICHMOND

Artist/Painter

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Professional artist/painter specializing in animal portraits.

Portfolio includes work for area government, nonprofit, business, and private citizen clients. After spending her 20’s and 30’s combining USGA golf winning 20+ titles and in pursuit of family and entrepreneurial ventures, returned to painting in 1999. Have since won awards, including top recognition in many contest entered, secured representation by 5 local galleries and turned out 300+ works that have been sold or commissioned. Split time between artist-inspired and commissioned work. Active animal lover, rescuer, and artisticcontributor to the Memphis Humane Society, with a private “Kennel Klub” of four pets.

Interest in art began as a child attending art camps at the Memphis College of Art, continued studying art through high school, college and numerous national acclaimed artists workshops. Mediums include oil, acrylic, gouache and watercolor.

 

EXPERIENCE

POINTE SOUTH STUDIO – Memphis, TN
Artist / Studio Director – Launched a private painting studio and artist management organization to produce a high-volume of landscape, still life,contemporary and animal-themed original paintings and to create visibility with galleries, commission agents, businesses and private citizens for portraits of animals.

Signature style is capturing an animal in an instant of brightness, color and happiness, using its eyes as a window to its soul and telling a story of its life through its face, expressions and body gestures.

Affiliated with the following organizations which feature her original work for sale:
– Family owned – Blue Plate Cafe and Gallery, 113 South Court Street, Memphis, TN
– Blue Plate Cafe and Gallery, 5469 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN
– Germantown Animal Hospital – 2185 Germantown Road South. Germantown TN
-Downtown Animal Hospital – 660 Jefferson Ave, Memphis, TN 38105
-East Memphis Hospital – 6019 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38120

Recent Awards:

– 2006, 2007, 2008 – Covers for The Animal World USA,
– 2008 – Cover Artist for Animal World USA, “Pennsylvania Week for the Animals”
– 2007 National Juried Exhibition – Celebrating architecture – Askew Nixon Ferguson,               Memphis, Tn – Merit Award winner for acrylics
– 2007- One Woman Show – “It’s a Zoo in Here” – Memphis, TN
– 2007 – Selected to be artist in residence for the Memphis Humane Society
– 2005, 2006, 2007 – Cover and Poster artist for the Germantown Charity Horse Show
– 2007 – Cover for the Downtowner, Memphis, TN – Sept./Oct.
– 2008 – Official painting for the annual Memphis Humane Society yearly fund raiser – “Buddy”
– 2009 – One woman show- Memphis Botanical Gardens
– 2010 – named staff artist for Animal World USA
– 2010 – Still Life Image, “Sunflowers and Oranges”, selected for promotional advertising 2012 Summer Olympics, London, United Kingdom
Current commercial/commissioned works in progress (selected listing)
– Submissions to Ducks Unlimited 2009- International Art Competition
– Accepted into Women Artists of the West 2008 competition, Hilligross Galleries, Long Grove, Illinois
– Society of Animal Artists, New York City, New York – Invited back fall 2007 – for next round of consideration to association. If selected, member’s art will tour USA’s largest cities museums.
– 2007, 2008, 2009 painted guitar – Memphis Blues Ball
– 2007, 2008, 2009 painted chair – Orpheum Theater
– 2007 – “Tennessee Treasure” – coffee table book featuring regional artists and businesses in the state of Tennessee.
Accepted into Women Artists of the West 2009 competition, Denver, Colorado
– 2010 – commission University of Memphis athletic building, collection of tiger paintings
– 2010 – accepted into Women Artists of the West 2010 competition, Olaf Wieghorst Museum in El Cajon, California.
– Fall 2010 – eligible for signature status, Women Artists of the West

Professional Affiliations:

– Memphis Germantown Art League, Memphis, TN
– Memphis Plen Air Painters
– Atelier Artist of Memphis
– Women Artists of the West – California based
– Wildlife Artist Association – California based
– Animal Artist Hall of Fame – France based
– Wildlife Artists Netlink – Canada based
– Staff Artist for Animal World USA, Memphis, TN
– Artist’s assistant – Nancy Bickerest, Nancy Bickerest Photography. Memphis, TN
– Artist’s national representative – Joan Sargent, JSM Art Licensing, LLC, Pawlet, Vermont
– Artist’s Memphis representative – Shelley Arthur, Memphis, TN

 

EDUCATION / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Previously and currently, studying under:
– Nationally-acclaimed portraiture artist, Jamie McMahan
– Renowned watercolorist, Wyatt Waters, Fred Rawlinson and Tony Couch
– Golden Artist Colors representative, Patty Brady, New Berlin, NY

ACADEMIC STUDIES

BFA Fine Art & Biology University of Memphis; University of Tennessee at Knoxville
ADDRESS and CONTACT INFORMATION
3286 Pointe South Cove
Memphis, Tennessee 38125
Mobile: (901) 299-3601
E-Mail: DDRichmondART@aol.com  / DDRichmondart@icloud.com
website: www.DebbieRichmondArt.com

 

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I truly enjoy painting still lifes and landscapes, but painting animals is my passion. The greatest joy an artist can receive is to capture the personality, the moment in time, and the facial expressions that only one who loves animals can understand. In a portrait, I find the eyes are the heart and soul into telling an animals’ story.”

“When a viewer says they felt a connection through a dog’s devoted gaze, a deer’s startled glance or the penetration of a tiger’s glare, I know I have accomplished my mission.”

“I prefer strong, bold colors and a warm palette to convey my message. A larger variety of reds, oranges, and yellows will always be found somewhere in my work. For me, these colors are warm and exciting-much like the wildlife I love to study. I consider myself very traditional, but I also try to keep a loose sense of edges and broad range of values by using strong highlights. Even though the majority of my subjects usually require working from a collection of photographs in my studio, nothing compares to the joy of painting on location. What could be more beautiful or inspiring to someone holding a paintbrush than being able to use all their senses as they work? The truth in art for me can only be seen outdoors on God’s canvas.”

– Debbie D. Richmond