Debbie Rote Finds Her Calling

New Anderson Artists Guild member Debbie Rote used the “other” side of her brain for much of her life. “Growing up in Louisiana, I was not artistic,” she said. “I got a degree in finance and did accounting for most of my working years.”

She was a math whiz but didn’t enjoy the details of accounting, so she said goodbye to that career to raise her children. During that time, she discovered a new interest as a freelance decorator. “I had a feel for color and scale,” she said.

But it was only after she and her husband retired to South Carolina that she found her true calling. “I had lots of time on my hands, so I started taking art classes and found what I felt I was meant to do,” she said.

She started with oils but soon switched to acrylics and is drawn to painting landscapes and figurative art. “It’s not purely abstract, but becoming a looser artist is my goal,” she said.

She has also become involved with the board of directors at the Blue Ridge Arts Center in Seneca, currently serving as its president. Her goal is to build and enhance an artistic community. “Even though it’s a lot of work, it puts you in contact with a lot of other strong artists and has opened up a whole new world of art mentors,” she said.

When she’s not inside creating art, Rote is on the golf course. “It gets me outside,” she said. “I need that balance.”