Deborah Wooldridge

Deborah Wooldridge was born and raised in Chicago IL.  She works predominantly in the mediums of photography and mixed media.  Deborah began drawing and painting at an early age and went on to study graphic design and commercial art in Cincinnati Ohio.  There she embarked on a 20 year career as an art director for the Kroger Corporation and later as partner with RGI Design and Marketing.

Her career gave her the opportunity to work regularly with professional photographers expanding her expertise in photo art direction, set design and food styling.  While in Cincinnati she additionally studied drawing and painting at the Cincinnati Art Academy and life drawing at the Cincinnati Art Club.

Deborah now merges the art of the camera with her original passion for drawing and painting in her "layered imagery" technique.

Deborah Wooldridge resides in Augusta KY.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

I have always been fascinated by old places, things abandoned and left for nature and the elements to consume. However lonely, I felt at home as if with an old friend, still beautiful and filled with stories.  My intent is to share those moments.

My camera is the first of many tools I use to evolve my image.  With my camera I capture the moment, composition and lighting.  Working intuitively I express my experience further by developing and building on the original with layers of handmade and photographic textures. Each layer interacts with the layer above and below and most importantly the original.

Just as if I were painting I can remove parts of these layers, build texture, enhance contrast and shift colors. All with the purpose of sharing the emotion and vision of my experience with my viewer. 

Finally I hold the most basic of tools in my hand... touch the paper, draw with my charcoal pencil, rub in color pastel pigments, add paint washes and complete my vision.

How we see and respond to things is very personal and unique. I believe a great photograph is not merely documenting the scene at hand, rather it is about fusing it with the essential vision of the artist.  For me sharing the experience and evoking an emotional response is the best my art can be.

REPRESENTATION

EAT Gallery, Maysville KY

Augusta Art Guild, Augusta KY

Blue Heron Gallery, Augusta Ky

Sparrow's Nest Gallery, Hot Spring VA

Co-Art Gallery, Staunton VA

Staunton Augusta Art Center. Staunton VA

Crossroads Gallery, Richmond VA