Featured Artist Debba Pearce

Alcohol ink painter Debba Pearce presents a collection of flowing, ethereal abstracts. See more of her portfolio by visiting her website.

 

 

Creativity has always been a part of me, but I didn’t start painting until later. I always knew I wanted to work with paints. Once life settled down after raising my children, I finally had the chance to dive in.

 

 

I’m so grateful for the time to focus on my art now. Without a formal art background, I took numerous classes and workshops to learn the basics and spent countless hours refining my skills in my studio.

 

 

I started painting realistically with watercolors and then moved to pastels, focusing mainly on florals and landscapes. After working with these for a long time, I began feeling restricted, confined, and limited to what I could put on paper. I didn’t realize it then, but I was searching for a more intuitive way of painting. One where I could work from my gut as I moved through a piece rather than relying on reference material.

 

 

I stumbled upon alcohol inks and immediately said, “I want to do that.” Watching the fluidity of the alcohol with the inks was mesmerizing, like a quiet meditation. The surface used for inks is nonporous, so the ink and alcohol flow freely.

 

 

This can be both exciting and challenging because you never quite know where the ink will go. There are no rules, no boundaries. It’s all about letting go and embracing the image as it unfolds.

 

 

At first, the lack of control was challenging. Getting comfortable with how it all worked together took time. I played around with creating soft and hard edges, using the whole surface or leaving some areas white, blending colors, or letting them stand alone. Each choice created a different mood and tone for the piece. Working without a preconceived composition or plan was exactly what I had been searching for.

 

 

I use a variety of tools to move the inks around and often ask myself, “what if I tried this?” I explored different techniques to see what happens, and fully embrace the unpredictability of this medium.

 

 

While I continue working with abstraction, I’m also experimenting with abstract landscapes—almost as a nod to my days of realism—while still enjoying the free-flowing nature of the inks.

 

 

My art is about discovery and embracing the unknown. Each piece reflects that process—full of movement, color, and life. No two pieces are alike. Alcohol inks have given me the freedom to truly express myself. I’m always excited to see where they will take me next.

 

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