Debora Stewart

“The First Raven” © Debora Stewart

Name: Debora L. Stewart, PSA

URL:  http://www.deboralstewart.com/

Bio: Debora Stewart gained a M.S.Ed. Counselor Education, Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, and her B.A. Art Education, University of Iowa, Iowa City. As a middle school art teacher and counsellor, Debora finds herself using art to help people, adolescents especially, better understand themselves. Her work is largely intuitive and imaginative, but it’s rooted in nature and the artist’s familiarity with natural forms. Her colour choices are inspired by the colours of nature too – flowers, sunsets, rivers, the seasons. She likes to create work with an expressive, gestural line, for which pastels are ideal, combining as they do drawing with painting.

Debora is a member of the Iowa Pastel Association, the Pastel Painters of Chicago, and a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America. She has figured in the Pastel 100 in 2010 and 2011 and in International Artist Magazine in 2012, and her work is featured in the book Finding Your Style in Pastel by Jean Hirons.
Medium: Pastel.  Debora works on sanded pastel paper that is mounted later on archival board.  This allows her the opportunity to be experimental.  She often begins with an initial line of vine charcoal or an underpainting of oil paint.  Small sections of previously completed line drawings are used as the basis for her paintings. Debora says that her ultimate goal is to create a richly textured pastel painting with beauty and depth that reflects the mystery and spirit of the natural world.

Subjects: Abstract. As I rarely feature abstract artists, I will let Debora speak for herself: “I am most inspired by creating work with a gestural, expressive line and intuitive color choice.  My work is not an observational record but contains elements of an emotional experience in nature.  I am drawn to shadows and reflections of light and I believe this is also evident in my work.”

Style: Debora states: “My work is primarily abstractions in pastels.  I do enjoy working with animal imagery periodically.  This allows me to bring some representational images to my work.  It also allows me to express my love for animals.  My intent with these images is to create an emotional connection with the collector and the spirit of the animal.”

Navigation: Main menu remains at side at all times,

Gallery: Abstractions; Small Abstractions; Transitions; Animal Abstractions.

Image View: The galleries scroll from side to side, as do the thumbnails when one chooses a gallery. Thumbnails enlarge in a viewer on the same page and may not be downloaded. Information is provided on medium, support and dimension. The First Raven is 15 x 22 ins.

Blog/Demo: No