The PebbleCreek Art Club is delighted to award Debby Bolton our April Artist of the Month. She has in her short time here become an important part of the arts community. Debby retired from Kia Motors as a Government Relations Specialist. Since then she and her husband, Gene, have lived in California, Prescott, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Portugal, and back to California. They moved to PebbleCreek in June of 2018.
While in California, Debby launched a second career as a professional photographer, shooting weddings, events, landscapes and, her favorite, child portraits. One of her landscape images won Jurors Choice Award at the Orange County [OC] Fair in Costa Mesa, California. At present, Debby shares her time taking photos of artists and their work at art shows sponsored by the PebbleCreek Art Club. She also takes photos of club members for the club website and their professional use in the PC community.
Debby first became aware of a strong interest in painting about two years ago. She had wanted a painting for her home and after not finding one she liked, decided to experiment with painting an acrylic piece herself. Much to her surprise, it was a huge success! Her passion was born. Debby then began to learn everything she could about various paints and techniques. She became aware of all the art around her and how it presents itself in different forms and so saw the world with different eyes. Debby also became more sensitive to color and how it flows on the canvas and, in addition, appreciated the control possible as she applied the paint. She began to do more experimentation with various mediums because, in her words, “As a relatively new artist I thought it important to explore it all.”
Debby has taken a number of art classes here in PebbleCreek and gained capability in acrylics, fiber clay, resin, mixed media and watercolor. She loves acquiring not only expertise and new concepts, but also meeting fellow artists. To that end she is currently enrolled in two classes sponsored by the Art Club. Debby’s continuing work shows definite talent and creativity; her abstracts are dynamic with bright colors and lyrical expressions of line and shapes. Not surprisingly, her mixed media piece entitled, Money Tree, won second place in the Art Club’s recent Art Walk. We are very fortunate to know and work with Debby, especially as she continues her artistic journey.
Debby says that she is “truly honored to be chosen as Artist of the Month,” and adds, “As many artists find it difficult to validate their own work, it is uplifting to have your passion recognized.” You are invited to view Debby’s work on display at the Creative Arts Center and at the Tuscany Falls and Eagle’s Nest Clubhouses. v