Artist of the day, September 24, 2020: Deb Garlick, a Canadian photographer, illustrator, painter (#1102)

Both a painter and photographer, Deb Garlick's work exemplifies restfulness, elegance, and simplicity. Inspired by travel, architecture, music, and writing, Deb is continually engaged in the creative process.

Deb's paintings are personal and introspective. "My interest is in taking complex thought and emotion and moving it into a calm, still space." Her artwork is featured in galleries across North America and in private collections around the world. Deb has a BA Double Major in Art History and Visual Arts.

"My paintings are calm. I take all the threads of an experience and simplify, simplify, simplify. I champion the slow moments and honour the serene.

I started out as a painter of massive abstract work. I focused on texture by layering tissue and paper, or gauze and plaster, over canvas and then I fell for quirky portraits and quiet houses instead. I did keep my minimalist colour palette though, as I just like the peacefulness it brings. Simplicity can be powerfully evocative and since I like to paint atmosphere, it is critically important to me.

My current work has been described as contemporary, folk, naïve…  since Frida shows up under these titles, I’m good with that. My entire remit is to create a calm and peace that is palpable. It is what I appreciate in my world. I also appreciate humour, whimsy and quirkiness so that shows up too.

I am inspired by words, music and art. I love dark and detailed Renaissance portraits, the mischief and imagination and utter goofiness in Medieval art, the strange and odd illustrations of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton… so many things give me pause. Life is short and there is little time to spare so I choose to saturate my world in things that make me laugh, delight me, bring awe or peaceful contentment. I try and creatively give all that back, too.

My style is me. I live what I paint. I've been advised I dress that way too. I live on a hill so there is a feeling of space outside my windows and it's very quiet and open. When I have enough of the tranquility I travel or take up something completely different like ceramics or guitar. Then I return to paint and draw full of new experience and freshly inspired.

I am also a freelance illustrator. Of food, of products, of quirky stories. I illustrate to work, to relax, to have fun, to let the whimsy and humour out as it’s just as much a part of me as the serious, introspective paintings I paint.

I love illustrating. My favourite jobs, commissions, contracts, freelance hires are for illustration. Coming up with whimsical, quirky visuals, or being given a list, or asked to brainstorm an image… it is a joy to do what I love. I have been busy working on a team project with my foodie project partner, Chef Denise, in all ways - art, illustration, styling and photography. That’s what started the whole food-bent and I couldn’t be more pleased.  It’s also been a pleasure to do editorial art for EAT magazine, food illustration for projects like Les Dames d’Escoffier Summerdine, and other events. My paintings are something else entirely but they sometimes fall under the illustration umbrella as well. Two of my paintings were selected for book covers in Europe and that, being an avid reader, was a peak experience. More to come under this header!"

© 2020. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Deb Garlick. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only

 

Ms Deb Garlick

A big red tomato

Christmas eve

Dr Quoth, heart specialist

Elixir

Field end

Field house

Goose girl

In the woods

Inlet house

Isolation = Hard, Frontline = Harder

Just one more chapter

Mid afternoon

Mill house

Mountain village

Night swimming

Norma takes a risk

Put in our place

Red roses

Snowbound

Social sistancing and tour flock

Social distancing doesn't mean you can't send notes

Spring

Stitching line

The avid gardener

The dream

The old farm house

 Pie project

The surprise gift

Trust can be a bit of a bear

Vegetarian Challenged

Winter path

The year of the pig

The Year Of The Rat (2020)