Pleasanton artist captures hometown images in pastels

A Pleasanton resident since she was a young girl, Debbie Wardrope is the definition of homegrown talent.

"My parents occasionally bought fine art pieces to hang in our home. I grew up believing that fine art was a possible direction for me because I saw my parents supporting other artists," Wardrope said.

After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from California College of the Arts in Oakland, Debbie started a career in the mortgage banking industry, while painting on the side.

"When I had children, it was actually my husband that encouraged me to pursue my art," Wardrope said.

Home with two young children and shuttling them to school and activities, Debbie enjoyed the ease of working in pastels.

"I love the colors, the vibrance. Plus it's a dry medium and it fit well into my lifestyle as a busy mom. I can stop in the middle of a project to pick the kids up from school," Wardrope says.

Wardrope started her ongoing relationship with Pleasanton's Studio 7 Fine Arts Gallery back in the 1990s when she was commissioned to do locally-focused painting. Her collection of paintings includes images of Downtown Pleasanton, Livermore vineyards and historic buildings in the area.

"It's surprising how much variety there really is in this area as far as material for fine art," Wardrope says.

New commissions for Debbie include the oak tree in Danville and the renovated Lizzie Fountain in Downtown Livermore.

When she starts a piece, she visits the location several times to take photos and later she works from in her studio.

"I probably work from three to five pictures for the piece. I like to explore a subject in detail," Wardrope says. "I'm not copying a photo exactly. I'm creating a painting working with varied images."

Depending on the subject's complexity, Debbie will spend anywhere from eight to 60 hours on a single piece.

"Painting is constant problem-solving," she says. "I spend a lot of time getting the shapes right and layering the colors."

Dirk Christiansen, the owner of Studio 7 Fine Art Gallery, admires Debbie's local focus and says her personality is mirrored in the images she creates.

"Debbie is soft and gentle, the kind of person you'd want to have as your neighbor," he says. "Her paintings reflect that soothing aspect of her and I think people are drawn to that."

Between all these bouts of creativity, Debbie also teaches art classes and summer art camps for children through the City of Pleasanton. She is preparing for an upcoming workshop "Painting the Garden in Pastels" through her long-time partner Studio 7.

Owner Dirk Christiansen says Debbie will be the first art teacher in a series of classes held in the studio after hours.

"Pleasanton has this small-town America feel and I want the gallery to reflect that. It's important for us to be a place of fun that's accessible to the community. I think our artists like to get out of their own studios to engage with the community, whether by doing art demonstrations or teaching classes. Creating art can be very isolating."

Debbie is eager to spread her love for art to other emerging artists in the community.

"This class is mainly for beginning and intermediate adult artists. My hope is they will create a piece they are proud to hang in their home."

For upcoming classes and summer camps, visit:

www.debbiewardrope.com

"Painting the Garden with Pastels"

Tuesdays at 7 p.m. starting July 13

www.studio7finearts.com