The pieces I created in this series start with inspiration in my garden. Gardening is new to me since moving to Lekwungen territory (Esquimalt, BC) in 2017 and has become a growing passion. It didn’t take long for my art practice to begin mimicking the wonder and beauty I would find there.

 

As I worked the series it became more than just photographing, sketching, and scaling the work. Inevitably my work is about me and my own human journey and noticing how nature provides a common metaphor. How nature goes through cycles of growth and death, has a natural ability to overcome adversity and how it teaches us to live together harmoniously.  Nature reflects my desire to see things from many perspectives, to try to understand myself, the world and others better.

 

By making my pieces much larger than their actual size, we can see how the often-overlooked aspects, become animated and take on a character of their own. Suddenly the budding blooms of a hyacinth become a community of beings, huddled into family units. The stamen of clematis, expressive dancers, exerting their creative spirit. The work attempts to tap into the energetic life force that emanates from us all. Perhaps we have lost some of that connection over the course of the pandemic. I
hope this series can help remind us about the mental health benefits of connecting to the beauty of nature, to our inner selves and to each other.

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If you are interested in purchasing any of Debbie's work, you can contact her here