DEBBIE MUELLER | 3RD PLACE
2025 OPEN COMPETITION

Debbie Mueller had been practicing medicine for more than 30 years when she discovered there was an artist within her just waiting to reveal itself. At age 56, she was visiting her parents in Florida and had some free time. Her mom, an artist herself, suggested she paint something with a set of acrylic paints on hand, and she gave it a try, painting a dock at dusk.

“My life was forever changed,” she says. “I delight in having discovered this hidden passion, and my heart sings when I can paint the dance between light and shadow.”

While maintaining her busy medical practice, Mueller has become a professional artist whose oil paintings have received numerous awards, been included in solo and group exhibitions, and featured in many art publications. She is a member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Oil Painters of America, American Women Artists, and others.

We spoke to the New Hampshire artist about her work and her inspiration.

You describe the first time you painted as making you feel meditative and creative. Does painting still make you feel this way?

Yes, painting is still a meditative process. When I paint, I feel highly focused and often achieve that “flow” state where time feels unmeasurable and my mind is completely absorbed by the process.

You started from scratch in your artistic journey, taking classes and workshops as well as utilizing what you had learned from creating mosaics and photography over the years. Do these early lessons still resonate in your painting now?

I really did start from scratch! To have a wide range of colors in my paintings, I naively purchased the 48-color set of acrylic paints, as I had no idea that color could be mixed! When I was creating mosaics, without realizing it, I was learning color theory — evaluating hue, temperature, and chroma. Photography classes grounded me in the principles of composition.

Early on I recognized that I was drawn to light and shadow and learned that everything in the light should be a higher value than everything in shadow. Also, I learned about brushwork and edges — softening an edge in a cast shadow or finding opportunities for lost edges.

How do you divide your time between plein air and studio work, and how do you decide on a subject?

Living in New Hampshire my plein air season is limited, but if I’m painting outdoors, I always look for interesting shapes and strong light and shadow. The subject is often secondary.

During the colder weather I paint mostly still lifes that I set up in my home studio. I scroll through my books to find an image I love and then pair it with other objects. I also enjoy painting reflections and often choose to include something silver or copper in my composition to express this.

What inspired your paintings like "Tea with Sargent" and "Nighthawks Vibes?"

These paintings are a part of my art book series. I enjoy channeling the spirit of my favorite artists by incorporating their paintings — found in art books — into my still life paintings. The resulting narrative can be entertaining and thought-provoking.

Mueller is represented by: ARTNOVA Gallery in Chatham, MA; Cortile Gallery in Provincetown, MA; Kennedy Gallery and Framing in Portsmouth, NH; Jackson Art in Jackson, NH; The Good Art Company, Fredericksburg, TX.

All images © Copyright Debbie Mueller, shared with permission