A Day in the Life of an Artist

For over 33 years, fine art collectors Dr. Edmond and Theresa Hooker have attended the Derby. However, due to Covid 19, the May "Derby Day", which has been tentatively moved to September 2020, may or may not happen in 2020!

In celebration for the couples 30th wedding anniversary, Theresa commissioned me to paint the couple at the famous Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. She wanted a festive and exciting painting, wearing the bright colors and hats that is traditional of all Derby attendees, to have a wonderful remembrance of their years of attending this long standing tradition.

Because I have only attended the Derby a handful of times, in order to prepare for the painting, I needed more information to complete the painting. Theresa kindly supplied me with a few stories about their years at the racetrack. This background was helpful with conveying the emotions I needed to create the painting.

Theresa said, "our very first visit to the Derby was May of 1987. At that time, Eddie was an emergency medicine resident at University of Louisville and worked at Churchill Downs for "Derby Day". They always have a medical staff to take care of the spectators of the Derby. We were recently engaged so I came along with him for the day. Excited for our first visit, we arrived very early in the morning and stayed until the crowds were pretty much gone for the day .... into the late evening. An interesting first visit, for sure. After that visit we fell in love with attending the Derby each year and look forward to the first Saturday in May each year".

After presenting the finished painting to the couple, Theresa says, "thank you Deborah. We are so happy and just love the painting. A Derby Win for us!"

In celebration of my new Cincinnati Landmark Collection, I am offering a special free gift mailed to any

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Breakfast at the Exemplar, 16 x 20

Hello Friends,

I have a daily challenge.  My life is a paradox. Webster defines a paradox as a "situation, person or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities."   Working as an artist, spending most of my time in solidarity is critical in the creation of paintings for my fine art business. However, being a social person, I enjoy being with people.  Over the years, I discovered that portraiture and figurative works of art are a good fit for me. Working from life, I can interact with the model or the sitter, which adds to the connection needed for the painting and the artist, and ultimately helps curb working in complete isolation!

In the fall of 2019, before Covid, I set a challenge to meet and paint over 60 unique newsmakers and personalities who make up the modern Cincinnati community.  My purpose was to connect, cherish and celebrate the people of Cincinnati. In a world where human interaction is taking a backseat to technology, my goal was to hold a solo exhibition called the Portrait of Cincinnati. This project met all of my goals. I met 60 new friends (now many are collectors) who sat for a one-hour oil sketch in my studio. I also had the goal to bring awareness to fine art portraiture. Some of the participants final paintings are in The Portrait of Cincinnati Collection

For 2020, I would like to pivot somewhat. I am beginning a new collection, and you can view the beginning of that collection at The Landmarks of Cincinnati.  My goal is to paint 10-12 landmarks in the Cincinnati area. However, I need help from my collectors and friends to complete the list.  My question to you is ....If you were having friends visit Cincinnati, how would you answer this question:

“What are the top 10-12 landmarks to see during a visit to Cincinnati?”-

Here is my partial list –

1.     Fountain Square

2.     John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge

3.     The Cincinnati Zoo

4.     The Krohn Conservatory

Here is where I need your help… I need an additional 8 -10 popular landmarks. What do you think ? Can you either email me at [email protected] or reply to this newsletter and let me know your thoughts?

Old Milford, 16 x 20

Cincinnati Landmark Collection

In celebration of my new Cincinnati Landmark Collection, I am offering monthly special gifts to a few lucky VIP subscribers!  See HERE to sign up.

Autumn at Eden Park, 12 x 16, oil

Stay healthy,

All the best,

Deborah

Email – [email protected]

Website – DeborahRidgley.com

Phone- 513-259-9302

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