Amy Deal grew up in Cranberry Prairie, Ohio, surrounded by rural landscapes where she spent her days exploring the outdoors. That formative experience continues to inform her work as an artist. Her latest body of work, “Nature Paintings,” will be the featured winter exhibit at Wilmington College’s Harcum Art Gallery, running Jan. 21 through March 6.
An opening reception honoring the artist will be held on Jan. 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. Normal gallery hours are weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by special appointment arranged by Hal Shunk, the gallery curator and emeritus professor of art.
Deal’s fascination with the outdoors, which led to gathering wildflowers to make paint pigments, transformed her environment through artful expression. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in visual communications from Kent State University, after which she built a career as a creative director, collaborating with public relations firms on annual reports while shaping corporate branding and advertising campaigns.
Today, Deal is dedicated to her fine art practice, working out of her studio in Dayton. She noted that her current series “creates immersive environments filled with natural greenery and vibrant color, bringing the serenity of the outdoors inside.” These works reflect her enduring “connection to nature, exploring themes of growth, earth and plant life.”