Debbie Knight - 2021

Having graduated from University of Warwick with an honours degree in Art, with qualified teacher status, Debbie Knight has spent many years teaching in primary schools and still does. But, in the last 6 years her focus has been on her art and building a body of work. Over this time she has built up a vocabulary of marks which she now uses in her expressive abstract work. She works predominantly in oils, but experiments with mixed media.

Whilst her work is ever evolving, fundamentally she returns to the same core themes; she has a deep interest in ancient history, myth and faith, man's origins and common dreams. This, coupled with being a keen observer of the world around us, both natural and man made, it's stuctures and constructs, all have a voice within her work.
Through colour and layering, texture, scratches, adding and removing paint, Debbie builds an image which is open for the viewer to interpret, but shows an outward expression of the drama that has built the image. An attempt to keep the beauty and wonder showing through, as more manacing marks lay on top. A battle she aims to win when deciding that a piece is finished.

Debbie has exhibited widely in recent years and had the last major exhibition at New Maynard Gallery before the COVID lockdown. She takes part in the HVAF Open Studio and is again this September. She has pieces for sale on Saatchi art and uses Instagram. She sold work to the set designers of Holby City and these can be seen regularly on the programme. Debbie spent two years running a not for profit gallery in St. Albans called Gallery 32 and still organises group events under this name. She enjoys helping others on their art journey, has taken on the Chairman role at Harpenden Arts Club and is area co-ordination for Herts Visual Arts. She had a four page article about her work in this June’s Hertfordshire Life Magazine.