Page 34 - Sept 2023 Galveston Monthly

“i let the subject tell me how to work with color and Her artistic odyssey began in childhood. Wiley’s own
brushwork. Brushwork reflects movement in paint, and mother, Janet Clugston Ressling, was a painter and also
that determines the realism or abstraction of my subjects. Wiley’s mentor through a learning by immersion process.
i am interested in a true likeness of my subjects, and i use “i grew up in a home where art was valued and practical.
the colors that make me feel happy and honest. i only it just seemed natural to me,” she said, adding she and her
simplify nature. i was taught early to look for beauty and mother frequently embarked on art workshops around the
representing that is my primary objective.” world, gaining valuable insights from renowned experts in
Her art has been an evolving process, shaped by countless the field.
hours of experimentation and refinement. Her passion “My style was developed over many years of work and
lies in compositions that allow color to take center stage, lots of trial and error to create the look i wanted. i am
emphasizing its visual power in her work. attracted to compositions that allow color to take the main
“i am a daydreamer. All my subjects have a story. stage.”
Galveston’s alleys have always been unique and fascinating She said both her parents instilled a profound love for art
to me. i just work from photos of them i have taken over and history in their family, culminating in annual journeys
the years.” to European cities to explore the world’s greatest art
While the artist does accept commissions, she primarily museums together.
chooses to paint what truly inspires her, rather than Her mother died September 18, 2009, and her father, Dr.
adhering strictly to someone else’s requests. Richard C. Ressling, died July 22, 2018. But her parents’
“i prefer to paint what i like. i have done many much-loved tradition of family vacations, family dinners,
commissions over the years but do fewer and fewer,” she and even having a simple cup of coffee together is deeply
said. rooted, much like the inherent need within the Wiley
“figure work is among my favorites and is probably the women to create art.
most difficult.” Her daughters and their families all live within a few

34 | GALVESTON MONTHLY | SEPTEMBER 2023