Deborah T. Colter is interested in the pure pleasure of form, line, and color. She describes her work as a continual evolutionary journey of discovery. She works with a variety of mixed mediums, collage and acrylic polymer paints building multiple layers on the surface until the piece begins to lead her to its own conclusion. Deborah holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. She is widely represented in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and overseas. Deborah lives and works on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.

Artist Statement:

"Discovery is an essential element of my process throughout the creation of my mixed medium pieces. I often start by building multiple layers of collage elements on the surface which I follow with layers of acrylic polymer paint, drawn lines, circles, patterns, and various other marks. The building, construction, and deconstruction process within the piece establishes a narrative with the work that continually calls to me. I adjust, experiment, and change the relationships of the elements within my paintings as I continue searching until the piece leads me to its conclusion. I strive to let the paintings tell me their own particular story.

My work currently speaks to my infatuation with process and exploration. Painting allows me to discover places that feel both familiar and unknown. Often I feel the work arrives out of nowhere as if sent from a place beyond my knowledge. I deeply trust in the messy process of creating, with all its inherent bumps and wrinkles, which helps me understand my need to continue on this creative path. When a piece begins to coalesce and I feel a little shiver run down my spine, it is then that I understand the painting has taken on a life of its own."

Deborah had the pleasure of working with the 2015 HGTV Dream Home designers to place three of her pieces in the project that was built on Martha’s Vineyard the Fall of that year.

Working side by side with corporate art consultants and galleries Deborah has been delighted to be included some powerful art collections including Adobe Systems, Biogen Corporation, J.W.Marriott, Cisco Systems, & Conner Strong Companies, among others.

Explore Deborah T Colter's available artwork at our art gallery or on our website.