Debora Stewart

My art is always in transition.  It has evolved through the years from representational to an intuitive abstraction of nature.  My relationship to nature is central to my creativity.

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.

Pastel is a very natural medium for me.  By nature, I am someone who loves to draw.  Pastels have allowed me to combine my love of drawing with painting.  I love the immediacy, vividness and purity of pastels.  My work is created on sanded pastel paper and is later mounted on archival board.  This easily manipulated and forgiving surface allows me the opportunity to be experimental.  I often begin my work 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 my paintings. 

My ultimate goal is to create a richly textured pastel painting with beauty and depth that reflects the mystery and spirit of the natural world.