“I ALWAYS KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE AN ARTIST,” SAYS GINNY Versteegen, a plein air painter whose vibrant canvases capture the fleeting beauty of the Lowcountry and beyond. Her journey began in childhood, when she would turn over her father’s designer blueprint papers to create large paintings on their blank backs—an early sign of the creative drive that would define her artistic career.
Versteegen’s formative years were steeped in classical art education. Selected by her high school to attend pre-college classes at Carnegie Mellon University, she traveled by bus on Saturdays to the college campus, where she followed classroom instruction and spent afternoons exploring the city’s galleries. But it was her regular visits to the Carnegie Museum of Art that truly shaped her artistic vision.
“I had the opportunity to go every Saturday and visit all the impressionist paintings,” she recalls. “I admired Monet, Sisley and Pissarro, but I loved the figurative works of Mary Cassatt, Degas and Renoir.” One painting particularly captured her imagination: a Seurat work that demonstrated the broken color technique, where the eye mixes colors optically rather than on the palette. “That was an education in itself,” she adds. “I fell in love with the high-key color and loose brushstrokes of the impressionist painters.” These early encounters with the masterworks became the foundation of her artistic voice.
Today, Versteegen identifies herself as a contemporary impressionist who carries forward the revolutionary principles established by 19th-century masters. Impressionism, which emerged in France during the 1860s, broke away from the precise detail and studio-bound subjects of academic painting. Instead, artists such as Monet and Renoir ventured outdoors to capture the ever-changing effects of natural light by using loose, visible brushstrokes and bright, unmixed colors. They prioritized the impression of a moment over photographic accuracy.
Contemporary impressionism builds on these foundations, allowing for greater individual expression and modern themes. Where historical impressionists focused primarily on landscapes and everyday scenes, contemporary practitioners like Versteegen bring personal narrative and emotional depth to their work. The core principles remain unchanged: color palettes that favor bright, luminous tones; loose brushstrokes that suggest, rather than define; and above all, an obsession with capturing the quality of light.
Versteegen’s commitment to plein air painting (creating artwork outdoors, directly from observation) connects her to the impressionist tradition while giving her liberty to innovate and develop her own voice. Typically, her process involves packing her easel, palette, brushes and paints into her car, then setting up at a spot she’s scouted in advance. Once positioned, she works quickly to capture not just the visual elements but the emotional essence of a moment.
“I try to give just enough information in the paintings to let the viewer into the world I’m seeing,” she explains. “I layer creative marks on my canvas to suggest things like a sunrise, an apple orchard or a misty day.” This approach requires both technical skill and intuitive response, as changing light conditions demand quick decision-making and confident brushwork.
Her recent 30-by-40-inch painting Golden Sunrise is a perfect example of her process. Originally conceived as a smaller marsh landscape, the work evolved when Versteegen recognized its potential for larger, freer brushstrokes. “It’s mostly about these beautiful towering clouds over a marsh landscape,” she says. “I was trying to catch the clarity of the light in the clouds with a palette of lush colors.”
While rooted in impressionist tradition, Versteegen continues to explore new techniques and expand her artistic vocabulary. After studying art education at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, she went on to live in the Netherlands, Brazil and Spain before settling in Charleston. This international experience enriched her work, though she maintains that inspiration can be found anywhere. “I’ve always believed there is something special about wherever you are at the moment,” she says.
Her recent work with cold wax medium shows that the innovative spirit she had as a child is alive and well. Applied over existing paintings on boards using scrapers, palette knives and pottery tools, rather than brushes, cold wax creates additional texture and freedom. “It’s mostly oil paint and a mixture of cold wax, which gives it more texture and freedom,” she explains. This technique offers creative possibilities when outdoor conditions aren’t suitable for plein air work.
Versteegen’s artistic practice is deeply informed by art history. When facing challenges in her work, she turns to books and memories of museum visits, asking herself what Monet or Van Gogh might do. “Sometimes I can solve them by going back to the museums and paintings of my old friends. My background in art history helps me quite a bit,” she says.
For Versteegen, the reward of her artistic journey extends beyond personal satisfaction to the joy her paintings bring to collectors. She speaks warmly of clients whose lives are enriched by her work. One collector looks at each painting in her home every morning because it brings her joy. Another client’s large 36-by-48-inch painting has become so integral to their space that its colors are influencing their other acquisitions.
This connection between artist and viewer reveals something deeper about her work. Her paintings don’t just capture light and landscape; they preserve the essential energy of what it means to be alive in the world. *
Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.
