Deb Clay – Collaborative Arts

Deb Clay/dl clay was born and mostly raised in Calgary, Alberta. Her fluctuating path through the University of Calgary took her from the sciences to literature and finally to social work where she received her BSW in 1980. Her learning curve took her through courses in creative writing, journaling, art therapy, desktop publishing, web design and a wide range of art courses including clay work, sculpture, metal work and mixed media.

As a self-described always-developing writer and artist, Deb thrives on experimentation, exploration and interaction in different media, which gives her an ever expanding vocabulary. Living on Vancouver Island since 2007, Deb has found her place by the ocean. Whether writing or creating art, she believes almost everything is a poem.

Artist Statement:

Currently, in response to my mother’s ongoing dementia and to my own aging, I have been exploring memory and what it is to remember. There is an ethereal quality to memory, to what we store in our minds and bodies. Things rise to the surface of our awareness then slowly, or sometimes rapidly, disintegrate. One or many senses can trigger memory and memory retrevial. There is so much to explore: How is memory stored? How can it be retrieved? How can it be explained? Grasped? Shown?

Working with different materials I try to conjure memory’s shape and outline in what might be described as a “membership” —as a member of the human race and down through further subgroups of membership: family, gender, single entity etc.

Writing is a large part of my creative practice and I often write before creating art as a way to enter into the process. Sometimes it is the reverse – with my writing inspiring my art making.

Almost everything is a poem.