Deborah Cumming is an Edinburgh based artist who studied at Art and Design institutions in both Chicago and New York. She then returned to Scotland to study Graphic Design. This led to a career in the design industry and the completion of a Masters Degree in Design at Glasgow School of Art. She went on to teach at Napier University in Edinburgh then Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. She then decided to focus fully on her own artistic development as a fine art painter in 2010.
Deborah has always been intrigued by Still Life painting. This is because it combines so many visual aspects such as depth of field, scale, light and subject matter. Taking inspiration from her background in botanical illustration and design, she aims to create uncluttered compositions where natural, organic forms take centre stage in a carefully curated setting.
Working with oils, Deborah builds up layers of colour through glazes. This is a time consuming method, yet one which she finds hugely rewarding. This is due to the slow drying properties of her chosen medium, as it allows her time to reflect and give careful consideration to the next step in the process. This care extends to the Still Life set ups themselves, with Deborah drying and selecting the perfect flowers for a composition, and pairing them with fabrics that complement and accentuate the delicate beauty in their natural form while simultaneously hinting at deeper cultural connotations.
