Since beginning her painting journey in 2016, Debbie Mueller has been consistently drawn to imagery defined by light and shadow. Her early work focused on landscape, inspired by the streets of Portsmouth, the coast of Maine, and the quiet geometry of sunlit architecture. “At the time, I viewed still life painting as uninspiring—dusty wine bottles, unappetizing fruit,” shares the artist. “When I shared this belief with an instructor, he asked what most excited me about landscape painting. ‘The light,’ I answered. He replied, ‘Look again, it’s there.’”
Debbie Mueller, Held Between Light and Shadow, oil on linen, 30 x 30 in.
In 2019, participation in the Strada Easel Challenge fundamentally shifted Mueller’s perspective. “Working from direct observation proved deeply engaging, and the ability to arrange objects with intention, whether for harmony, narrative or playfulness, opened a new creative path,” says Mueller. “This expanded focus now informs both my still life and landscape work. I approach plein air and studio painting with the same sensitivity to structure, relationships and illumination, often isolating a single building or object within its environment.”
Debbie Mueller, Tea with Four Daughters, oil on panel, 24 x 24 in.
As a self-described late-bloomer artist, Mueller has curated her own art education through books, including works by John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, Monet and many others. She says, “Incorporating these volumes into my still lifes has led to a meaningful series that honors the masters while creating contemporary, personal narratives that collectors have warmly embraced.”
Mueller’s Tea with Four Daughters is currently on view at the Customs House Museum in Clarksville, Tennessee, as part of the exhibition Of Mark and Meaning: American Women Artists.
Debbie Mueller, Buoy Shadows, oil on panel, 18 x 24 in.
Want to See More?
(603) 767-5645 | www.debbiemuellerart.comRepresented by Artnova Gallery 463 Main Street | Chatham, MA 02633 (508) 469-9222 | www.artnovagallery.com
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