Debbie Johnson
Watercolor
Contact
Biography
“The tactile experience of playing with transparent watercolor, watching the colors blend and move is exciting to me. I often work from my own photographs. First I draw in my sketchbook the parts of the photo that catch my eye. I create value studies to bring out the contrasting lights and darks and then the beautiful shapes emerge. This is the foundation of my work, which is then developed with poured glazes of transparent watercolor washes and masking to save the lighter values. Unique shapes delight my eye and I often let the painting lead me once the piece is started. My desire is to create artwork that is beautiful to look at, that makes people pause and smile. From my humble beginnings as a graphic designer, I have grown to love watercolor as a means of expressing my soul. As our world grows more frightening, I want to keep on exploring, learning and expressing the lovely things in life.”
Biography Born and raised in Greenville, Michigan, Debbie is the youngest of five siblings. She was greatly influenced and encouraged by her artistic parents and her high school art teacher, Tom Blinn. She is the mother of two grown children and step-mom of three grown children. She worked in graphic design and technical illustration for nearly 25 years. In February 2004, with children in college and on their own, Debbie transitioned from commercial art to fine art. With encouragement from friends and family Debbie began showing her artwork at street fairs and local galleries. In 2008, Debbie and her husband moved to Melbourne, Florida, where her artwork is growing in style and subject matter.
Debbie’s watercolors blend her passion for painting and her love of nature to capture the fleeting moments of beauty the world provides. Her work is a study of shapes and values translated into brilliant colors. Since 2005, Debbie has been teaching watercolor painting and conducting workshops. She focuses on technique which helps her students master watercolor and develop their own personal style. You can find her work currently featured at several venues throughout Florida, including through the Brevard Cultural Alliance. Debbie has been a member of the Michigan Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, The Brevard Watercolor Society, The Florida Watercolor Society, The Southern Watercolor Society, The Georgia Watercolor Society, and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America.