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Debra is a self taught professional felt artist living in the Eden Valley, Cumbria. Debra’s passion for art arose in her childhood growing up in the Peak District. Here a love for the wild and the beautiful was instilled and has remained with her.
After A levels including Art, Debra left England for several years to live in Tuscany. Whilst there she soaked up the glorious landscapes and spent many an hour sketching landscapes previously observed by Giotto as she was lucky to reside in the same locality.
Returning to England, now in her mid twenties and a mother to two small boys, Debra returned to her studies, sadly not pursuing her dream but Psychology and Italian where she completed a degree at Lancaster University. She remained there for 7 years pursuing a Phd in developmental psychology and teaching in psychology and Italian.
Disillusioned with academia, Debra left and travelled in Asia where she discovered the ancient art of felt making in Nepal. Soaking up the rich jewels of colour and form in all the beauty she observed and overjoyed by the delights of these new cultures, she returned once again to her first passion of art. Debra began to create beautiful felt pieces, first objects but latterly “paintings “ as she calls them. Debra’s artwork radiates energy using rich vibrant colours and exudes excitement witnessed in her travels. Her colours hold a dissonance which fills the image with energy and light. She attempts to convey the natural beauty of light shows observed in person and hopes to convey the experience through her chosen medium perhaps reminding the observer of the beauty once visited.
Inspired by writings from Arabi and Rumi
“The property of beauty is to shine
It’s light extends infinitely both inwardly and outwardly.
It is both overwhelming and inspiring and whatever it illuminates is consumed as it is also created by it.
In short, beauty is not partial .”
Debra has chosen to follow a spiritual path in her artistic endeavors where the road and destination of her journey is the love of beauty!
Debra is convinced that the alchemy of felt making is extremely therapeutic and somehow rekindles the child within with its familiarity of warm, tactile experience. The result is escape and calm followed by joy of a new skill and a beautiful piece of art/craft.
She also enjoys painting and has been studying it with her close friend and tutor Artist Julie Dumbarton
Now a mother of five, Debra spends most of her days immersed in creativity often involving her children, facilitating their own creative development.
Debra holds regular workshops in felt art and feltmaking both locally and in Spain and France.
Debra hopes to combine her knowledge of psychology with felt making to run courses for adults with mental health issues and adults with learning difficulties.
EXHIBITIONS
2009 October - High Head sculpture Valley , Cumbria.
2009 December - The Bakehouse Gallery , Langholm
2010 January - The Cumbrian Open Exhibition, Upfront Gallery, Unthank.
2010 March - The Art Corner Gallery, Langholm.
PRESS
March 2010 Cumbria life feature
WORKSHOPS
 Debra is a self taught felt artist living in the Eden Valley, Cumbria. Debra’s passion for art arose in her childhood growing up in the Peak District. Here a love for the wild and the beautiful was instilled and has remained integral to her being.
After A levels including Art, Debra left England for several years to live in Tuscany. Whilst there she soaked up the glorious landscapes and spent many an hour sketching landscapes previously observed by Giotto as she was lucky to reside in the same locality.
Returning to England in her mid twenties and now with two small boys, Debra went on to study Psychology and Italian completing a degree at Lancaster University. She remained there for 7 years pursuing a Phd in developmental psychology and teaching in psychology and Italian.
Disillusioned with academia, Debra left and travelled in Asia where she discovered the ancient art of felt making in Nepal. Soaking up the rich jewels of colour and form in all the beauty she observed and, overjoyed by the delights of these new cultures, she returned once again to her first passion of art. Debra began to create beautiful felt pieces, first objects but latterly “paintings “ as she calls them. Debra’s artwork radiates energy using rich vibrant colours and exudes excitement witnessed in her travels. Her colours hold a dissonance which fills the image with energy and light. She attempts to portray the natural beauty of light shows observed in person and hopes to convey the experience through her chosen medium, perhaps reminding the observer of the beauty once visited.
Debra's life is governed by the love and pursuit of beauty!
“The property of beauty is to shine.
It’s light extends infinitely both inwardly and outwardly.
It is both overwhelming and inspiring and whatever it illuminates is consumed as it is also created by it.
In short, beauty is not partial .”
( inspired by the art and writings of Simon Blackwood ,Arabi and Rumi )
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She is convinced that the alchemy of felt making is extremely therapeutic and somehow rekindles the child within us. With its familiarity of warm, tactile experience, the result is escape and calm followed by the joy of a new skill resulting in a beautiful piece of art/craft.
Debra also enjoys painting and has been studying it with her close friend and tutor Artist Julie Dumbarton. Now a mother of five, Debra spends most of her days immersed in creativity often involving her children, facilitating their own creative development.
Debra holds regular workshops in felt art and feltmaking both locally and in Spain and France.
She hopes to combine her knowledge of psychology with felt making to run courses for adults with mental health issues and adults with learning difficulties.
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