Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah Stenberg.
Deborah, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My passion for art started as a young child where I would constantly draw, color, and create. During my sophomore year in high school, I took a career placement test that said my interest was geared towards commercial art and advertising. After graduation from high school, I moved to San Francisco to attend the Academy of Art University and majored in this. I married my husband during my sophomore year and immediately started a family. I was a stay at home mother of four and experienced living the military lifestyle moving from one exciting place to the next. When my youngest was in high school, I went back to school and graduated with my bachelor of art from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. When the last child was in college then went on to complete a Master of Fine Art from my original alma mater the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I had come full circle back to my early college days. During my time in school, I discovered that I love producing art, but I also wanted to teach. I love being able to mentor young artist and guiding them through their artistic journey.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I love to paint people. I love to discover their souls and what makes them the person they are. Besides painting commissioned portraits, I like to paint people and tell a story. My style of painting is realism, and my representation of people are very real. In order for me to entice someone to purchase a painting of some person they do not know, I need to make sure the rest of the painting tells a story that is compelling. Although there is a person in the painting, they need to fall in love with the story BEHIND the person. This can be challenging… to convince someone to hang a person on their wall, they do not know. I also like to paint still life paintings. There is a lot of interest in finding one’s history and genealogy and where they came from. I like to paint historical still life paintings. I will work with a client, and we will strategically plan the items that go into still life, from family heirlooms and priceless memories. The painting turns out to be a bit of family history that tells a story of their roots.
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
My passion for art started as a young child, where I would constantly draw, color, and create. During my sophomore year in high school, I took a career placement test that said my interest was geared towards commercial art and advertising. After graduation from high school, I moved to San Francisco to attend the Academy of Art University and majored in this. I married my husband during my sophomore year and immediately started a family. I was a stay at home mother of four and experienced living the military lifestyle moving from one exciting place to the next. When my youngest was in high school, I went back to school and graduated with my bachelor of art from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. When the last child was in college then went on to complete a Master of Fine Art from my original alma mater the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I had come full circle back to my early college days. During my time in school, I discovered that I love producing art, but I also wanted to teach. I love being able to mentor young artist and guiding them through their artistic journey.
My advice to any artist just starting out is to follow your dreams. I was never confident enough to do this at an early age. I always felt that I should do something that could make “real” money thinking no one would want to buy my art. You have to be persistent and not give up. You can not instill confidence in people to encourage them to buy your work unless you have confidence with yourself. Sell your art style, story, and vision to those you come into contact with!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I am currently being represented by the Dutch Art Gallery located at 10233 Northwest Hwy #420, Dallas, TX 75238. In addition to the gallery, you can see my work on my website: www.deborahstenberg.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.deborahstenberg.com
- Email: contact@deborahstenberg.com
Image Credit:
Deborah Stenberg
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