We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Debra Joy Groesser a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Debra Joy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
There have been many opportunities that have come along throughout my art career, many of which I was very hesitant to pursue. Now, in hindsight and with apologies to Nike, my mantra has become “just do it.” Pursuing some of those opportunities has led to a chain reaction of more opportunities, and so many unexpected blessings.
After taking several workshops in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including some plein air workshops, and with the encouragement of several of the artists I studied with, I began looking for opportunities to “get my work out there.” I learned about competitions for plein air painters, as well as juried exhibitions and national art organizations for painters. I wasn’t sure that my work was worthy yet, but decided to take the risk and first, submit applications to join the Oil Painters of America (OPA) in 2001 and American Impressionist Society (AIS) in 2005. To my surprise I was accepted into both organizations! I submitted work into both organizations’ juried exhibitions, and again, to my great surprise, had a painting accepted into the AIS juried exhibition in 2005. That was a huge confidence booster!
Shortly after that acceptance, I had an opportunity to place an ad in what was the original Plein Air Magazine in 2005. I was hesitant about investing in national advertising, but again, decided to take the risk and see what would happen. To my great surprise, I received a call from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art (Alabama) and was invited to take part in their biennial art auction to be held in 2006. The board member contacted me because of that ad! Another risk taken with a huge reward. I participated in every biennial auction at the museum until they were discontinued in 2018, and have many loyal collectors there as a result.
2006 was a pivotal year in my career. I began submitting to juried plein air competitions and was accepted into the Carmel Art Festival (Carmel, California) for the first time in 2006 and for several years after. That led to an invitation to be represented by a gallery in Carmel in 2010. Also in 2006, I was accepted into a major national plein air organization (no longer in existence sadly). Next came an invitation to become a signature member of Plein Air Artists Colorado (PAAC). My involvement with PAAC ranged from entering their exhibitions, to helping with organizing aspects of their exhibitions, and eventually serving as a board member.
I was accepted into an OPA regional exhibition in 2007 in Topeka, Kansas, which resulted in the host gallery asking to represent me and my work. This was my first major gallery representation and would not have happened if I hadn’t taken that risk and entered that show.
Throughout this time, I continued to enter and be accepted in AIS exhibitions on a regular basis. This was confirmation that my work really belonged in this group. I met the AIS founder, Charlotte Dickinson, and her husband, TR, while attending one of the AIS exhibitions. As I was speaking with TR, who was sitting in a chair at the gallery, he began coughing. He had difficulty walking so I offered to get him some water. That one interaction led to a phone call a year or so later in which TR asked if I would consider serving as the president of AIS. TR said that he never took my card, never wrote down my name, but he never forgot the kindness I had shown him. I was completely shocked. Due to my commitment on the Plein Air Artists Colorado board, I told TR that I couldn’t accept his invitation. He asked me to “sleep on it” and he would call me the next day. When my husband came home I told him about the call. He said, “You said yes, right?” When I told him no, he said “Of course, you have to do this! How many people get an opportunity like this to make a huge difference? And I’ll support you every step of the way.” This was probably the most terrifying and consequential decision of my career. I wasn’t sure I was up to the task and didn’t know how I would juggle my art career with such a huge responsibility. Another risk…another opportunity. That was in early 2013. I said yes. I never expected what a joy and a blessing this would turn out to be.
I continued to also serve on the PAAC board for one year, then found it necessary to resign to concentrate solely on AIS. And in 2015, my husband and I were asked to take over running AIS from the Dickinsons as they were having health issues. My husband still serves as AIS Treasurer and I still serve as CEO/President. It has truly been the honor of a lifetime. Not only has it led to countless opportunities in my own career, but more importantly, with our officers and board, we have been able to carry on the legacy and mission of the original founders of AIS, that of promoting the appreciation of American Impressionism through exhibitions, educational events and other media. Knowing that the work we do is helping to support so many artists on their journey is incredibly gratifying. The lifelong friendships made with our leadership team and our members, volunteers, galleries, sponsors and collectors are priceless.
As I said earlier, my mantra has become “Just do it.” I often reflect on what would have happened and how much I would have missed out on had my husband not encouraged me to take that risk and accept the opportunity to serve the American Impressionist Society. I’ve learned the risks are so worth the possible rewards. When those opportunities come along, just do it. You never know what rewards lie in store unless you take the risk.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am an oil painter, gallery owner, art instructor, wife, mother and grandmother living and working in Ralston, Nebraska, in the Omaha area. My husband has been mayor of our town since 1996. We have five children and seven grandchildren between us. I was born in England to my British mother and American father who was stationed in England with the Air Force. The Air Force moved our family numerous times – from England to California, to Maine, Newfoundland, back to California and finally to Nebraska where we have lived since I was 10 years old.
I have loved to draw since I was very young. My mother told me I did a drawing of a deer at age 3. She sent it in to the local Romper Room television show and they actually put in on TV! I remember drawing all the time as a child. Not only did I love it but it was a way to entertain my five younger sisters as we were growing up.
At age 12 I entered a coloring contest sponsored by a local Omaha newspaper and paint store. I won the $25 grand prize which was a gift certificate to the paint store. They had a small art supply section there. I used the prize money to buy my first set of acrylic paint, brushes and canvases. Two years later, on my 14th birthday, my parents bought me my first set of oil paints and I was hooked! I took every art class I could during high school and went on to receive my BFA degree in studio art from a small private college in Nebraska in 1978.
My first job out of college was as a graphic artist for a large bank in Omaha. I worked there for 6 years, then stayed home to take care of my young children for three years. I did free lance graphics work and painted during this time. My first husband was a home builder and in 1987 we decided I should get my real estate license so I could sell his homes. I was already doing architectural renderings of the homes he built which we used in advertising and on flyers. It was a career “detour” I always intended to be temporary. In fact, my password for the multiple listing computer was “artist” (by the way, I don’t use that any more!). Every time I logged in at the real estate office, I was intentionally reminding myself that I was an artist temporarily selling real estate.
After a divorce, financially, I had to continue in real estate. I began doing architectural renderings for other home builders, and eventually “house portraits” and note cards (with drawings of homes) for several real estate agents and for my own clients. These were great closing gifts and I was surprised how popular they became. Eventually I got to the point I was making just as much with this artwork as I was selling homes!
When I remarried in late 1991, my husband, Don, knew how much I wanted to get back to my art full time. He began asking what we could do to help get me there. We decided on teaching classes for children in our home as a first step. I would teach after school classes for children, which would fit into my real estate schedule. Within two weeks, Don had a classroom built for me in our basement. I marketed the classes through my real estate newsletter and to my surprise, the classes filled quickly. I continued doing the house portraits, note cards and renderings as well, working out of our spare bedroom. Eventually my art took over not only the basement and bedroom, but the office and dining room as well. In 1996, we decided to look for a building to move my art business to. We found a small building in our downtown area in Ralston, Nebraska, just five blocks from our home. We bought the building, then the following year, we built a big addition with a large classroom on the lower level and a large studio above. It was a dream come true! I let my real estate license go at that point and devoted myself to my art full time. We opened a small gallery in the smaller front bay of the building, had art classes, did picture framing and continued creating my own work. There was a hair salon in the larger bay in the front of our building, which remained as our tenant until 2018.
In 1996, with the encouragement of my husband, I began taking workshops with artists whose work I admired. The first one was with Tom Browning in Eugene, Oregon. Not only was the workshop incredible, but having never traveled alone before, it was a life changing experience. It gave me confidence I had never felt before. I continued taking workshops for several years, from Kevin Macpherson, Scott Christensen, Kenn Backhaus, John Cosby, Jessica Zemsky and others. It was a plein air workshop with Kevin Macpherson in 1999 that changed my art career. Thanks to his encouragment, plein air painting has become a major focus of my work over the years and led to growth that I believe could not be achieved any other way.
As I began having opportunities to travel and paint, participate in plein air events and shows, we decided to close the gallery and cut back on teaching daily classes. We rented the gallery space to a local florist. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to compete in numerous plein air events, from Carmel, California, to Laguna Beach, California, Door County, Wisconsin to Texas, Atlanta, Colorado and more. I teach two to three workshops a year currently. In 2020, my instructional video, “Understanding the Effects of Light”, was released by Liliedahl/Streamline Video (now PaintTube). I’ve served on the faculty of the Plein Air Convention several times and frequently give talks about art on podcasts, blogs, at schools and art organizations.
In 2018, the hair salon in our building closed. My husband, Don, had taken up woodworking when he retired, creating beautiful segmented vessels. I had about 60 paintings in my studio at the time, stacked again the walls. We decided that the timing was right to reopen a gallery in the former salon space in order to display and sell both Don’s and my artwork. Before Covid, we held some invitational shows with guest artists. We plan to begin doing this again soon. We also feature “artful” gift items in the gallery such as mugs, wine glasses, tote bags, prints and note cards.
I have been doing commissioned work for many years, from landscapes, to pets, to portraits. I have several paintings in corporate collections throughout the Omaha area and in private collections across the country and overseas. My largest commission to date is a 4×6 foot portrait of Omaha philanthropists, the late Richard and Mary Holland. It was commissioned by Omaha Performing Arts and now hangs permanently in the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha.
It has been a tremendous honor to serve as the President of the American Impressionist Society since 2013, and as the CEO/President since 2015. My husband Don serves as treasurer. The organization was founded in 1998 by four Florida artists with the mission of promoting the appreciation of American Impressionism through exhibitions, workshops and other media. AIS has over 2100 members nationwide.
Between October 2021 and February 2023, health challenges arose, which included two knee replacement surgeries and a battle with breast cancer. During my cancer treatment in 2022, I turned to my art for healing and for coping with the fear. I created a painting entitled “Faith, Hope and Healing” which I started on my first day of radiation treatments and finished the night before my last treatment. You can read about the symbolism and meaning behind this piece here: https://www.debrajoygroesser.com/workszoom/4643208/faith-hope-and-healing#/
I have a quote by Andrew Wyeth on the wall in my studio above my easel. It reads “I believe one’s art goes as far and as deep as one’s love goes.” Since going through these health challenges, I feel my work has reached a much deeper level. I also feel an even stronger need to use my art to inspire, to heal and to make a difference. My greatest satisfaction in being an artist comes from successfully connecting with people on an emotional level through my artwork. My challenge is to create a sense of place and to render my subjects in such a way that the viewer will feel their spirit, the emotions I felt as I painted, and understand what attracted me to the subject.
My work is currently represented by Montgomery-Lee Fine Arts (Park City, UT), Mary Williams Fine Arts (Boulder, CO) and Debra Joy Groesser Fine Art (Ralston NE). Professional designations and memberships include: Master Signature Member, Plein Air Artists Colorado; Signature Member: American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, Laguna Plein Air Painters, American Plains Artists; Member, Salmagundi Club, New York.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
My greatest satisfaction in being an artist comes from successfully connecting with people on an emotional level through my artwork. My challenge is to create a sense of place and to render my subjects in such a way that the viewer will feel their spirit, the emotions I felt as I painted, and understand what attracted me to the subject.
As mentioned before, I do a number of commissions each year. The most rewarding ones are the posthumous portraits I’ve been entrusted with creating. Seeing the reaction of the family members and knowing how meaningful the paintings are to them, fills my heart with gratitude. It is a tremendous honor to be able to create something that helps the family heal and honor their loved one.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
When I began my career, the resources for artists online were scarce. Most of the resources I found were through books and magazines. Now, with social media, YouTube, and all the online resources, it’s an incredible time to be an artist. Since Covid, so many artists and instructors pivoted to online classes. It’s no longer necessary to travel to workshops (although I still think there is no substitute for “in person” workshops). There are so many opportunities for artists to exhibit, market and sell their work online now, that just did not exist a few years ago. There are also many competitions and exhibitions that are solely online now as well. It has opened up so many opportunities that are alternatives to traditional brick and mortar galleries, which used to be the main venues to sell work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.debrajoygroesser.com/ https://www.debrajoygroesserfineart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debrajoygroesser/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebraJoyGroesserFineArt/
Image Credits
all images are mine