Description
Iris Beate Struller rediscovered her passion for painting in 2014 when, on a whim, she took a Bob Ross class at the local Hobby Lobby. Those first few hours uncovered her love for colors and movement she had as a child, and opened the door to capturing moments of life on canvas.
She studied painting landscapes and portraiture with local artists Karen Leffel-Massengill and Chris Kling in Stuart, Florida, continuing her studies at The Art Students League in New York City with Sharon Sprung and Liz Adams-Jones. There she learned to incorporate the limited palette of Anders Zorn into her works, which she also applied at The Art Students Guild of Brevard (TASGOB).
Iris has participated in various juried regional art shows throughout central Florida. Her painting “In Search of Flamingos 2022” was chosen to be the commemorative poster for the Melbourne Art Festival in April of that year. Her painting, “Your Move”, received the Award of Excellence from the jurors at the Melbourne Art Festival the following year, in April 2023. Gallery 14 of Vero Beach, Florida, presented her body of work, “Moments In Time”, as solo guest artist, in May 2023. Iris loves to paint life vignettes that reflect the moment, whether on the water or in the city. Her travels have allowed her to capture instances from around the world. She is available for portrait commissions painted in oil or drawn in graphite pencil. “I strive to capture the spirit of whatever I am painting, as this allows the true essence of my subject to emerge. When I achieve that, then, to me, the whole painting comes alive and touches the heart in a profound way.”