“Much of my work is painted from life - en plein air and in the studio. Light and the abstract contours found in natural surroundings of the countryside and architectural structure in the city are my inspiration. I challenge myself to use as few shapes as possible in defining a rhythm or connection. Composition and value fuel most of my work. My best paintings convey a believability with the goal of giving the viewer a fresh way of seeing and feeling.”

Deborah Sams is a contemporary impressionist painter based in Blowing Rock, NC. She studied at the Washington Studio School and Yellow Barn Studio in Washington, D.C., where she has lived since 1996. In 2024, she began centering her work in the mountains of North Carolina.

Representation
Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery, Blowing Rock, NC

Exhibitions
2024
New Artists Show, Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery, Blowing Rock, NC

March Juried Exhibition, Arts Club of Washington, D.C.

Awards and Recognition
2025
Longlisted, Jackson’s Art Prize

2022
First Place Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival
Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Blowing Rock, NC