256 words with Deborah Veldkamp

Born in Idaho, I moved to California when I was young. I am a full-time artist “born with a paint brush in my hand.” My mother, aunt, and uncle were all professional artists. As a child, I followed their path, painting, drawing, illustrating, and writing. I’m also a published author. I attended the ArtCenter College of Design to study illustration and the California College of the Arts in Oakland for the fine arts curriculum.

I also studied privately in Walnut Creek for five years with Peter Blos, an artist from Munich, Germany, in his Advanced Figure and Portrait Class. He was the biggest influence as he taught me how to paint. I was only fourteen years old when Peter began teaching me in his very small classes.

Besides Peter Blos, I would name Vincent Van Gogh as the first artist to influence me. Then, Honoré Daumier, Käthe Kollwitz, Joaquin Sorolla, John Singer Sargent, Maynard Dixon, Carl Rungius, and William Wendt, who painted much of California, including the Central Coast. I draw inspiration from Sorolla who once answered a question asking how often he paints, “I am painting all the time with my eyes.”

I try to convey beauty and light through my work. Pastel painting is a recent inspiration for me—a few years back I got out my leftover pastels from art school days and became so enamored I invested in a new set.

People can stop in and see my work at Art Central’s current exhibit “Luminous Pastels” or at my annual Open Studio.