Debra has been an active artist for two decades and has participated in a variety of local and regional juried competitions and exhibits. Her award-winning work currently resides in private and corporate collections, including at a major university in Maryland.

Her plein air and studio work is in the Impressionist tradition, with a focus on the contrast of transparent and opaque paint application with brush and palette knife. The interplay of light and shadow over forms captures her attention and imagination, along with the endless challenge of exploring infinite combinations of line and shape, color and texture. Her desire is to reveal the essence of a place or person for a moment in time, through personal vision and emotion.

Debra enjoys painting a variety of landscapes, events and people; her current focus is on the unique environmental, historical and cultural aspects of the major watersheds of the Northeast region. Since moving from Maryland to Pennsylvania in 2021, the Susquehanna River, from its rugged mountain sources to its tidal marshes, has become her muse.

Memberships:Oil Painters of America
American Society of Marine Artists
American Impressionist Society
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society
Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association
Bald Eagle Art League (PA) – Treasurer
Allegany Arts Council (MD)
Maryland Federation of Art

LHJams Festival (Lock Haven PA) – Invited Plein Air Demonstration Artist 2022, 2023, August 2024

Selected Shows and Awards:

2023Hudson Valley Plein Air Festival (NY) – Juried Artist – Overall Second Place; Best Painting at Audubon Site (2)
Bald Eagle Art League (PA) – Best of BEAL show – Second Place
Plein Air West Reading (PA) PAWR – Juried Artist – Special Designated Sponsor Award “Garden Arty”
CCAC 2D/3D Regional Exhibit (PA) – Juried Artist
The Gallery at Penn College of Technology (PA) – Juried Artist, The 2023 Regional Juried Exhibition “100 Miles”Paint It! Ellicott City (MD) – Juried Artist
River Towns Plein Air (PA) – Juried Artist
CCAC/BEAL Annual Combo Show (PA) – Second Place

2022Mount Vernon Plein Air/Baltimore Heritage Show (MD) – MAPAPA Honorable Mention Award
Maryland Federation of Art Mountain to Marina Exhibit (MD) – Juror’s Choice Award
Selinsgrove Paint the Grove Plein Air (PA) – Third Place
CCAC 2D/3D Regional Exhibit (PA) – Sponsor’s Award
Plein Air West Reading (PA) PAWR – Juried Artist
Paint It! Ellicott City (MD) – Juried Artist
CCAC/BEAL Annual Combo Show (PA) – First Place
River Towns Plein Air (PA) – Juried Artist

2020Paint It! Ellicott City (MD) – Juried Artist – AARP Juror’s Award
MAPAPA – B & O Railroad Museum Show (MD) – Honorable Mention Juror’s Award

2019Harford County Plein Air (MD) – Juried Artist
Color Columbia Plein Air (MD) – Liz Bobo and Lloyd Knowles Hon. Mention Juror’s Award