Debra Smith
Melbourne born and raised, Debra's love of art started at an early age. The privilege to be under the tutelage of excellent art teachers from HSC to Brighton and Swinburn Technical College in Graphic Design set Debra on her future art journey.
Working with animators on films as background artist allowed her strong illustrative style to shine.
Relocating to the South Coast years later led to a return to graphic design where Debra worked for a local newspaper and with private design work.
Collaborating with local artists, exhibiting and undertaking many workshops developed and further enhanced Debra’s artwork.
Awards of Best in Show, First in Category and Highly Commended are among many of her achievements.
Time has allowed Debra to concentrate on her practice with a strong emphasis on illustrative and photorealism techniques using predominantly pastels, watercolour, pencil and charcoal. These mediums greatly facilitate Debra’s eye for detail and colour.
Nature, especially Australian birds, inspire her subject matter. Debra endeavours to portray the characteristic beauty and fragility of her chosen birds and hopes to pique the viewers knowledge of and interest in the plight now facing many Australian species.