Deborah T. Colter

Deborah T. Colter is a contemporary abstract painter who lives on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Born in Ithaca, New York, she has been fortunate to live and work on the idyllic island off the coast of Massachusetts for most her life. Deborah graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a B.F.A. in 1981, and has been a full-time studio artist since that time, with work widely represented in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and overseas.

"Discovery comes through the process of painting," Deborah says. "Inspiration starts with a mark, a color, a form, a layer, and it builds from there. I refuse to be bound by a specific direction or an expected outcome. Each of us is profoundly different - peace begins when expectations end. We are all on our own path, and I choose to walk the path of creativity. My work speaks to this path of discovery; it speaks of the unknown, of the pure pleasure of form, of line, of color. Subtle layers and hidden memories peek through in my work. In creating something out of nothing, I seek a balance of complex simplicity that fires my imagination and lights up my soul. I find the exploration of non-objective abstraction deeply gratifying. My work is a continual evolutionary journey of discovery and I believe I am simply along for the ride."