Deborah Ann Eckert

Deborah Eckert grew up living and traveling in many countries, and has thus been influenced by a variety of cultures.  Creativity, for her, is about agreeing to be led.  She finds herself “led” in many directions.

Her first love is people, and she has spent several years painting award-winning portraits.  “Each person is a letter from the Creator,” she says.  “I love the challenge of finding all the messages a face can reveal.”  For this work and for landscapes, she prefers pastels for their delicacy and ethereal qualities.  She feels it is symbolic that with pastels, not even a brush comes between the artist’s hands and the surface on which she works.

Another favorite subject is nature.  “The natural world is obedient to the laws of God.  I believe that is why in the country we are soothed and refreshed. That’s certainly why I am drawn to painting landscapes.  Painting them is a form of prayer and meditation, and is an expression of gratitude.”

In addition to pastel portraits and landscapes, Ms. Eckert creates sculpture from found objects, her “jumbies” -- whimsical spirits that hearken back to African roots and call us to remember and cherish the earth.  Deborah refers to the jumbies as “environmental art.”  

She also creates hand-sewn wall hangings.   She refers to them as “Luminous Landscapes,” because they are concerned with the play of light in nature, and in this case, on fabrics that sparkle.

A professional classroom teacher for many years, Deborah presently teaches art and music, and conducts the a cappella singing ensemble, “Expression.”  She can be heard on Observer Radio, where she hosts the Sunday morning reflection program.