Brewtifully Made
Here, Tracy Dawn Brewer shares creative insights, discussions with creative souls who are invited to doodle along with her and share their creative processes, and more.
Adding a twist, each episode begins with a doodle prompt and you can catch the final pieces from the episode on her YouTube channel, linked on the website! If you choose to also create along with her during an episode, share your work with the hashtag #brewtifullymade so she can shout out YOUR awesome creativity too!
Brewtifully Made
The Story Behind Deborah’s Wall Jewelry
Discover the transformative journey of Deborah Markle, a talented contemporary abstract artist who found renewed passion for painting following a personal loss. Join us as Deb, affectionately known as Deb or Debbie, opens up about her creative evolution from a hobbyist to an exhibiting artist. With an art degree and a background in photography, Deb brings a unique eye for composition and color to her distinctive works, which she lovingly refers to as "wall jewelry." Uncover why she prefers acrylics for their ease of use and hear about her inventive application of metallics and vibrant color schemes, all while navigating the challenges of showcasing her art and overcoming creative blocks.
Be inspired by Deb's December exhibition and get a sneak peek into the motivation behind her mesmerizing pieces. We discuss the excitement of experiencing art up close and the invaluable opportunity of being present with an artist at work. As we express our gratitude for Deb's involvement with the Canton Artists League and her first solo show, which features a stunning array of large and small canvases, we invite you to explore more of her striking works on Instagram. Join us for a captivating conversation that promises to leave you eager to immerse yourself in Deb's dynamic artistic world.
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I'm so excited to be back with a new episode, brutally Made, and this month is December and my exhibiting artist at the studio is Miss Debra Markle. So, deb, thank you for joining me today on the podcast. Thank you for having me. Awesome. I am really excited for everyone to see your work in person. So, on the visual portion, if you're watching on YouTube, you'll see some imagery of Deb's work in a slideshow and I would love for you, deb, to introduce yourself and just give us some basic information about you.
Speaker 2:All righty, my name is Deborah Markle, but I prefer Deb or Debbie, nothing so formal. I'm a contemporary abstract artist and I paint with acrylics. It's a hobby, not a business, and I call it, lovingly, wall jewelry.
Speaker 1:Yes, lovingly walled jewelry. Yes, so that is something that, if you do find the links in the show notes that I will link Deb's Instagram account so everyone can see that and follow her on there. And how long have you been an artist? I know you said this is not a business, it's truly, really from your heart and a hobby, but you do have an art degree, is that?
Speaker 2:right, I do, and I started loving art as early as kindergarten. I always took art in middle school, high school and then went on to major in art. At college. I took every class that was related to art, except painting, because an empty canvas terrified me and my dad would always ask me to paint him a picture and I'd tell him no, that's not my thing, dad. And when he passed in 218, I started painting. So better late than never.
Speaker 1:That's right. Oh, my goodness, wow. So I love the direction that your pieces take. They're such a dynamic use of color and movement, and I would love to know, when you started to dive into painting since it wasn't really like your forte from the beginning in college what made you pick acrylics?
Speaker 2:Well, I knew that oil took longer to dry. It was more for a really good technician, and since I was clueless, I thought let's start with the basics, let's go easy and that's it's stuck.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, I love your use of metallics in your in a lot of your pieces.
Speaker 2:It's not all it is in most of them. Actually, when I was in college, my major was in photography, so that was my medium at the time and I had this eye for composition. That was unusual and my photos weren't really anything but repetition, color and composition. People would say what exactly is that a picture of? But anyway, my, my painting currently is about color, composition and sometimes repetition, so I really didn't stray far from my early art form.
Speaker 1:I love how you've taken that and put it into paint. That's wonderful. That's. That's such a signature look, and I don't know that I've ever seen any of your photography, so we may have to like get together and see some of that. If you still have any, I would love to explore that too. That's wonderful.
Speaker 2:Oh, that was a long time ago. Yeah, that ended decades ago. There's not much of that left.
Speaker 1:So how do you find your inspiration for your pieces now?
Speaker 2:Okay well, I look for strange or weird color schemes anywhere in nature, magazines, grocery stores, wherever, yeah, forever, sometimes just lots of paint in my store laying around or color chips from a paint store. My husband dave, he frames, I stretch my own canvases. Those are the big ones, not the little ones. Okay, yeah, and I just I pick my colors, I start squeezing them on the canvas and then it's up to the powers that be and they make my arms start to produce what that painting will be. It really takes on a life of its own. I'm not trying to sound mystical or spiritual or anything, but I really have a plan when I start and if there is one, it changes somewhat as I go. As I said, it paints itself and I've tried to reproduce a painting, but I can't. It's like a one-time deal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's hard, it's hard. You know we're not manufacturers. As artists, I feel like it's really difficult to do something you know multiple times, so it's right. So what's been your biggest challenge as an artist? So what's?
Speaker 2:been your biggest challenge as an artist. Getting my art out there to be seen has been a real challenge. Luckily, I belong to Canton Artists League and they have helped us to find shows to apply for, because some of them are juried. My other challenges are, if I hit a dry spell, you know, trying to work through that. You know, like writer's block, yeah, um, but they don't usually last too long. So, like I came home from my reception the other day and I started another paint, finished it this morning.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's wow, that's fast, that's incredible. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2:It is um, it is new on Instagram, so if you go to my page it's the latest one on the feed.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm so glad that you've posted something new, so that's wonderful, and I know that this is your first solo show and it is phenomenal, it is beautiful, it fills the wall top to bottom. And then there are some beautiful, um, smaller canvases that are available for sale. You know, in conjunction with the larger pieces that are for sale, are there any other places that you offer your work? Uh, is it available anywhere else?
Speaker 2:well, I show it on instagram um, you know really prices or anything, just so people can see it. And then I, you know, if I'm lucky enough to get into a show and I'm chosen to be in one, you know that's. That's a good way, you know, to be seen. And also at Brutifly. The only limit I had was how many I could squeeze into that space, and that that is such a blessing. I'm so grateful for that. Now there'll be another opportunity that I have, similar to this one in May of 25. And it's at the awe gallery in lewisville um may 2025.
Speaker 2:I'll be the featured artist that month oh, I love that. I'm so excited about that one too, although it's not as well, I won't say anything, um, but I also have some canvases on display at harrison paint on whipple, because I used to work there and those people knew that I painted and they always let me bring canvases in there, so there's some there currently.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that. That's wonderful to hear that. I will make sure I put the instructions for the directions for both of those locations in the show notes to help promote where those are. Oh my goodness, I had no idea. And congrats on the solo show in May in Louisville. Oh my goodness, what another great little community to visit and are really doing a lot of things for art. So I love hearing that. Gosh, is there anything else you want to talk about your inspiration or with your art or the direction, like why you chose abstract art?
Speaker 2:Well, that's a good question. Actually, it worked out that way because of the color and the composition and whatnot. But as far as trying to be photorealistic and being what they call a good artist, I did all of that and being what they call a good artist, I did all of that. I mean, I used to draw voraciously and I took art lessons and then in college I took everything in sculpture and I did it all. But there's just something about abstract that's very freeing and you can just go crazy and have color and I go for the wow factor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and you can tell that because the size and the glimmer of the metallic and the color compositions that you've put together, it is a wow factor. You can absolutely feel that and there's such a connection with your pieces. I know my husband was pulling some of the can canvases out of the uh containers and really connecting with those and that's what I love seeing people in the community, you know, touching the art and seeing it and like connecting with it and it's just wonderful.
Speaker 2:Thank you. The smaller pieces is actually how I got it got started and I I wanted to make eight pieces, you know, a major pop of color to put in a foyer or, you know, in an office or a loft or something like that. That's the direction it went yeah, no great direction.
Speaker 1:I love knowing that. So is there a best way someone should contact you if they're interested in a piece that they're not local, or if they hear the podcast and explore your Instagram? Is there a method that's best? Do you have a website or?
Speaker 2:anything, and I do have my little cards that I give out. They have my cell phone number on them, and I can probably be reached through a gallery that displays my work too, but I don't mind if people call my cell phone. My cards are on all over your walls, so that's good.
Speaker 1:That's good. I didn't know if you had a website that I didn't realize.
Speaker 2:Okay, I just wanted to make sure. Okay.
Speaker 1:That's for businesses, not for hobbies, I understand, and we'll leave the web. We'll leave the phone number local. I'll make sure that that stays with the card, but they can definitely send you a message on Instagram if they're interested. Sure can. Oh gosh, no, it's a beautiful show, deb, you have so much to be proud of. I love how it looks on the wall and it just stops people in their tracks when they're coming in. So congratulations on being brave and contacting me through your friend who let you know that I had the space available and you were, I mean, right over at the studio. What the week I opened, I think.
Speaker 2:I don't remember when I came, but I know that Tom's work was on the wall at the time. Yeah, so, I was Johnny on the spot because I thought, oh, if I get in there early enough, maybe she'll have room for me in the next three years.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you got in this year because, yes, it is filling up. I'm, I've got a couple artists that wrote this morning and want to exhibit photography and sculpture and that's going to put me going into September. I'm just my I'm, my mind is blown. So I'm yeah, yeah. But thank you again for exhibiting and for joining me on the podcast. I'm anxious for everyone to see all your pieces in the slideshow and your, your work is available until the end of December. Again, all the artists. They receive 100%. I take no commission. It is all going back to the artists, because I really want to offer different ways. People can, you know, make a living off of their art and I feel like that is just a calling that I have with this space and that's what I'm doing, and I'm still going to try to talk you into teaching a class.
Speaker 2:You know what that's funny. My daughter and my husband are both hammering on me and saying you know, you could just teach some little class. I'm not a teacher. And then a coworker of my daughter said I saw your mom's stuff on Instagram. It's beautiful. Is she ever going to teach a class? So yeah, I probably will.
Speaker 1:I'm glad. Well, everyone, stay tuned. We will definitely post that event and you can attend. And yeah, I think, if you're just up there painting and letting people follow you along, just look at it that way. We're just being inspired by you and I just, you know, getting to be in your presence while you do it, that's more than half the battle. So hang in there. I think you should do it. Okay, well, we'll give it some thought. Thanks, deb, for being on the show, and I can't wait for everyone to come into the studio and see your piece. So thank you again for being the exhibiting artist for December.
Speaker 2:Thank you, tracy. Thank you for the opportunity. I really appreciate it. You're welcome, bye-bye, bye-bye.
