Derbyshire, UK
About the Artist
My love of beautiful landscapes, and what it feels like to be in beautiful landscapes, is the subject of my paintings. In them I want the viewer to see a real place represented, and also to enjoy the colours, textures, marks and idiosyncrasies of the paint on the canvas. Making the paintings involves experiencing a place, intense looking, drawing, imagining, interpretation, painting carefully and sometimes wildly letting go with paintbrush and palette knife. The varied qualities of the paint, the sensory power of the colour, the evidence of the painting process itself are all features which exist in balance with the representational aspect of the work.
Every painting starts with observational drawing or painting, in pencil, charcoal, watercolour or oil sketches. Sitting in a field or on a riverbank I become engrossed in the process as I try to understand everything around me through looking, measuring, mark making and composing a living landscape into a piece of art. One of the most enjoyable moments is drawing figures as they walk by. The figures tell the story that we are in that landscape. In my studio in Derby I make larger scale paintings, always starting with the drawings I have done on site.
I have lived in Derbyshire for most of my life, and now live near Derby. In the 1980s I studied Fine Art at Middlesex University and then the West of England Art School (now part of Bristol University) where I specialised in painting. In 2005 I completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Fine Art at Derby University. I continue to learn from artists past and present, by studying their work, going on courses and visiting exhibitions.
Exhibitions
2020
Tarpey Gallery: Winter Exhibition
Banks Mill Studios: Virtual Open Studios
Royal Derby Hospital: Air Arts “Illuminate” Exhibition
Derby Enterprise Centre
Harley Gallery: Open Exhibition
2019
Tarpey Gallery: Winter Exhibition
Banks Mill Studios: Open Studios
Pitch Blue Creative: Summer and Winter Exhibitions
Derby Enterprise Centre
2018
Banks Mill Studios: Open Studios
Wirksworth Festival
The Old Lockup Gallery: Secret Postcard Show
Tarpey Gallery: “Light, Shade and Colour” Solo Exhibition
Artcore Derby: Art Auction
2017
Derbyshire Life and Countryide: “Colourful Emotions” feature article on my paintings
Tarpey Gallery: Midlands Open Exhibition.
Gallery Top: Summer Exhibition
Royal Derby Hospital – Air Arts TEN Exhibition celebrating ten years of Arts at the hospital.
Derbyshire Life and Countryside: Derbyshire Landscape Painter of the Year Competition Shortlisted
Old Station Gallery: Winter Exhibition
2016
The Old Station Gallery: Winter Exhibition
Artcore: Relaunch
The Old Station Gallery: Open Exhibition
Deda, Derby Dance Centre: “Loving Local Landscapes” Solo Exhibition
The Old Station Gallery: Solo Exhibition “Deb Allitt Landscapes”
2015
The Old Station Gallery: Open Exhibition First Prize Winner
The Old Station Gallery: This Rural Life
Isabella Peatfield Memorial Fund Auction
Deb Allitt’s paintings are in permanent collections including Royal Derby Hospital and local businesses, and private collections in the UK and America.