"Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness."
- Anni Albers
ABOUT DEBBIE
In my work I explore an individual’s emotional and sensory relationship with nature, plus experiences with vision and sight loss.
My experience of experimentation with a variety of techniques enables me to be flexible and select the appropriate medium and tools for expressing a specific vision or idea. Within my range of work, I enjoy developing textural layers and exciting marks, and creating fluid, ethereal images.
The landscape is a constant source of inspiration. My work is an expression of experiences and observations, the relationship between nature and the individual. I often use materials gathered on my walks in the landscape, and recently I have begun exploring ways to incorporate natural inks and earth pigments into my work.
My experience of experimentation with a variety of techniques enables me to be flexible and select the appropriate medium and tools for expressing a specific vision or idea. Within my range of work, I enjoy developing textural layers and exciting marks within my pieces, but I also enjoy creating fluid, ethereal images.
I love the feeling of energy I get from reaching the top of a hill and then being rewarded by stunning views. Hills, cliffs, trees, stony paths and the wonder of daily events, such as the changes in the weather, sunsets and seasons have symbolic meaning. My work is an expression of emotions felt in the moment. By conveying my reaction to the landscapes I love, I invite each viewer to connect with their own experiences and memories too.
My abstract paintings explore those moments of time - whether they be love, joy, wonder, fear, loss, acceptance or courage. During Covid Lockdown I suddenly became partially sighted in my right eye. The theme of vision, how we see and the effect of sight loss has inspired a series of prints and ink work, exploring the emotions of fear, loss, acceptance and courage.
I believe that through creativity I have gained a deeper understanding of myself; I continually find new ways of expression and develop a deeper conversation with those I come into contact with.
My work starts with carefully observation, using photography and sketches. Through the expression of my visual language of lines and shapes I record what I see and feel. My paintings are initially planned with composition and medium considered, but then I work on the pieces intuitively, responding to the movement of paint and the expressive marks that I make as I'm creating. The colours, textures and patterns found in nature inform choices of palette and substrate. I combine materials that are most suitable for expressing the subject matter for a piece or series of paintings. My imagination and memory informing the development of the painting.
I like to use standard and non-standard tools on both my paintings on canvas or wood panel and works on paper. Often, they can be stones, rocks, twigs, seed heads that I've collected whilst on walks or ones I'm experimenting with in the studio such as kitchen and diy tools, for example pastry brushes, skewers, bowl scrapers, plastering smoothing tools and screws. I use solvent and scratch between the layers of paint revealing what has been laid down earlier and the history of the work. Glazes of colour are applied to develop the surface and create complexity in the images.
I create unique monotype prints using gelli plates. Once the layers are dry, I may draw on the surface using acrylic ink or paint.
For every purchase of one of my pieces, I pledge to donate 10% of the profits to charities supporting sight loss in adults and children.
