Ray of Consciousness 30 × 40 ´´Where Color Leads and Meaning Follows
Mind at Ease 36 x 36 Every piece begins the same way: with a color, not a plan. What follows is instinct — layering paint, paper, and found material until something honest emerges. This is where that process lives.
No Fixed Starting PointA color, a texture, a piece of paper picked up on a walk — any of these can be where a painting begins. There's no formula to repeat.
Found Over BoughtSea glass, sand, scraps of fabric. Much of what ends up in a piece existed somewhere else first.
Slow, By HandNothing here is rushed or reproduced. Each piece takes shape over weeks of layering, not a single sitting.
Open to ConversationCurious about a piece, custom framing, or commissioning something new? Every inquiry gets a real, personal reply.
Resonance 24 × 24 in
Peaceful Exploration 24 × 24 in
Arise 30 × 40 in
Meadow’s Breath 30 × 40 in
Green Village 30 × 40 in
Primary Flow 30 × 40 in
How I Work
I don't start with a sketch or a plan — I start with a feeling, and a color that seems to match it. From there, the canvas leads. I layer paint, paper, fabric, and whatever else the piece seems to be asking for, without deciding in advance where any of it is going. Some days that means adding; other days it means covering something up entirely and starting again on top of it. The process is slow by nature — nothing here is finished in one sitting, and nothing is repeated the same way twice.
Much of what ends up in a piece existed somewhere else first — sand from a morning walk, sea glass worn smooth by the tide, scraps of fabric or paper that would otherwise be thrown away. I like that a painting can hold onto a piece of something real, something with its own history, long before it became part of the work. By the time a piece feels finished, it's usually gone through more changes than I can fully remember — which is exactly how I know it's honest.
Intuitive Art by Deirdre
I create from a place of feeling rather than plan — layering paint, found objects, fabric, and texture until each piece becomes its own quiet discovery. My process begins with a heartfelt connection to the canvas, letting color and emotion lead the way toward something unplanned and uninhibited. What emerges carries an energy of its own, one I hope speaks a universal language through both image and word.
Based in downtown Santa Barbara, I draw inspiration from my serene daily life as both an artist and poet — the ocean, the mountains, the rhythm of a slower pace. I'm an active presence in the local art community, showing my work at the Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show and through my involvement with SBAA, Gallery 113, Faulkner Gallery, Carpinteria Art Center, and Voice Gallery. My path to this life wasn't a straight line — it wound through psychology, teaching, and a season that asked me to rebuild everything around what truly mattered. That story, and the art it shaped, continues below.
