Instructor Name:

Deb Van Poolen

Instructor Bio:

Deb Van Poolen has been a landscape painter for thirty years, exhibiting her work in Washington DC, Oregon, Montana, Michigan and the West Bank of Palestine. Deb became an artist so that she could spend time focusing on the beauty of nature.

Deb?s recent series of large paintings integrate science and art. They feature the globally significant biodiversity present in this region where the Cascade, Siskiyou and Klamath mountains converge.

Deb grew up in various midwestern cities, all within a couple hours driving time from Lake Michigan. She was introduced to life in the Pacific Northwest when she spent her final semester of college at a program on the Green Springs mountain east of Ashland. She has continued to thrive through living in mountain communities throughout her adult life.

Deb?s passion for the outdoors led to work as a canoe guide in Minnesota?s Boundary Waters and a wilderness therapy field guide in Montana?s backcountry. She later served as Ladakh Coordinator for the International Society of Ecology and Culture, and as Director of the Biodiversity Arts Outdoor School in Southern Oregon.