DEBORAH PIKE
My little corner of the sky
Hello
and thanks for visiting. A few words about what I do, how I got here and how I work.
I've had an unrelenting interest in art and design since childhood. My favourite subjects are anything with a heartbeat. The eyes really are the windows to the soul and meeting a subject is my preference. However, I have painted successfully from reference photographs and from talking to a client to find that spark that needs to be captured.
Having spent some years gaining an HND in graphic design and illustration and finally a BA with honours, I have combined my interests and worked as a freelance artist and also taught music as a peripatetic teacher in local secondary schools teaching the piano to spread the joy of music.
I like to experiment with fresh ideas and create original and unique designs. I enjoy the research and often refer to nature to find my inspiration. Realising my clients vision is a collaborative process and nothing brings more pleasure than a happy client!
Portraits
A painted portrait can be a beautiful work of art that celebrates a life and times of the subject for their family. In my gallery you will see a few different styles amongst my pictures and paintings. I work in various mediums depending on what I am trying to achieve and I dabble in the world of digital art in some cases to create a point of reference that I can use to work from when I am working a final piece. I love to create portraits that capture an individual spirit and often work from old photographs, changing and adding detail that enhances the feel of the character.
Personalise
For subjects that I haven't previously met in person, a selection of photographs can be useful as well as some guidelines from you, the client that I can take individual details from. For example, you have a plain photograph, but the subject is a keen fisherman. We could incorporate this into your painting with fishing tackle and floats perhaps in the background. Or for a photograph that is essentially good, but something isn't quite right ( I am thinking of many photos of children where I've painted out the smear of chocolate on their chin! ) or perhaps the clothing isn't what you'd choose. We can discuss and think of changing these things.
Murals
Murals can be painting as interior or exterior artworks and can literally transform any given space, brightening up the area and adding a new dimension to your room or garden. Please take a look at the mural gallery and contact me for an informal chat if you are thinking of having a mural.