Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah Ellington.
Hi Deborah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was trained in drawing, painting, and ceramics, with a professional foundation shaped by art education and years of teaching. My practice remains grounded in painting as both a discipline and a way of thinking. While my materials have expanded, painting continues to inform my approach to composition, color, and spatial relationships. In recent years, I have begun using glass as my canvas, moving beyond the traditional picture plane to create three-dimensional, often layered works. These layers are formed through imagery placed on multiple sides of the glass and through the accumulation of different visual elements, allowing the work to unfold in depth through transparency, light, and material. This shift reflects an ongoing inquiry into how painted imagery can operate as a spatial, light-responsive form while remaining rooted in the conceptual language of painting.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth or linear road. Making art, for me, is an ongoing exploration—one that involves questioning, revising, and allowing uncertainty to guide the work. Each shift in material or process has come with its own challenges, but those moments of difficulty have been essential to the evolution of the work. Rather than seeking resolution, I value the exploratory nature of the practice, where discovery emerges through experimentation.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What makes my work distinctive is that I do not come to glass through the tradition of stained glass, nor do I rely on established glass practices. I approach glass as a painter, using it as a canvas rather than as a decorative or craft-based medium. This perspective allows me to work intuitively and experimentally, developing processes that are specific to my practice. The work reflects a commitment to exploration, layering, and spatial complexity, resulting in pieces that are materially and conceptually rooted in painting while fully embracing the unique properties of glass. I take pride in the individuality of this approach and in allowing the material to serve the ideas, rather than the other way around.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
It’s important for me to create a conversation with my art that reflects who I am and what I want to communicate to the viewer. I have learned not to look to others for ideas but to look inside myself.
Pricing:
- Pricing is based on materials used and time taken to create the artwork.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dellingtonartstudio.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dellingtonartstudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dellingtonartstudioLLC
- Other: dellingtonartstud.com
Image Credits
Bogdan Mihai of Buburuza Productions
