DEB PIERSON
Deb Pierson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma but moved frequently due to her parents’ work. She studied drawing privately with wildlife artist Philip Lasz for four years while growing up in Kenya, East Africa, with an ultimate goal of learning to paint. During that time he provided an excellent foundation in drawing, proportion, and value studies. Unfortunately, Mr. Lasz was transferred back to the U.S. before they had a chance to move on to oil painting.
Although her artistic and musical interests ran deep, she chose to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She met her husband, Chris, during her time up North. Oddly enough, he was also from Oklahoma – born only 30 miles from where Deb was born. He jokes that he had to “move to Alaska to find an Okie girl.” After marrying, both worked as engineers in Alaska and New Mexico. In 2021, Deb began to feel a strong urge to learn how to paint again. She knew she wanted to paint in the Classical Realist (Old Masters) tradition but had no idea where to start. Extensive internet searches on the subject led her to texts by Juliette Aristides, Richard Schmid, Todd M. Casey, Harold Speed, Edgar Payne, and Charles Bargue. From these books and the training she received from Mr. Lasz, she was able to piece together the steps necessary to begin painting. She continually refers back to these texts and is always on the hunt for new information and techniques to further refine her Skills.
In 2023, Chris and Deb moved back to the Tulsa area to be closer to family. Deb was always encouraged to “bloom where you’re planted” when growing up and immediately began surveying her new surroundings for fresh interests and inspiration. A far cry from the desert landscape she’d become accustomed to in New Mexico, Northeast Oklahoma offered a multitude of antique stores, farmer’s markets, critters, lush fields, and expansive skies. Weekends rapidly morphed into “picking expeditions” for still life props and pantry provisions (that may or may not have also turned into still life props). Through her painting, Deb hopes to share the beauty of life’s simple gifts and help remind people that every moment we have is precious.
