Debi Perkins is a Florida Panhandle artist whose work bridges the gap between fine art and the intimate details that often go unnoticed. Her creative process is rooted in exploration. Each painting begins as an expressive, organic composition, but the magic often happens when she steps in closer. By zooming in on specific areas of her work, Debi discovers new landscapes, textures, and color harmonies that take on a life of their own. These details are then reimagined as expanded prints, offering fresh perspectives that feel both familiar and entirely new.
Her collections range from sweeping resin ocean scenes to soft oil skies and abstract watercolor studies, each infused with a sense of movement and place. Whether it’s a large-scale statement piece or a cropped print from a hidden corner of a painting, Debi’s work invites viewers to slow down, look closer, and find beauty in the unexpected.
Can you tell us about your journey as an artist?
I was always somewhat of an artsy kid; always doodling and checking out the "how to draw" books from the school library. I love/d learning new things like sewing, cooking, wood-working, painting from an early age. Never in my life did I think I would pursue art as a full-time career...but here we are! What started off as a hobby as a young mom going to school full-time and working, turned into an obsession. Once I started making more money from my art than I did as a florist, I decided to jump head first into starting my own business. 10 years later, I'm still here getting to create for you all. Thank you!
What Inspires your work?
The world around me. It's always changing- the colors, light, movement. The shifting skies, rolling waves, and quiet details in nature that I find that give me endless palettes to explore. Music, the season of life I'm experiencing, the weather. It all often becomes the undercurrent of a piece.
Do you have any routines, rituals, or habits that fuel your creativity?
Yes! I would have to say the "art of noticing" has always been a huge part of my life. As far as I can remember, my parents often would point out and share appreciation for the natural beauty that surrounded my brother and I. I have them to thank for that. I feel the most creative after watching the birds, witnessing a sky that takes my breath away, feeling the water trickling in a stream, feeling shimmering light under water. All of these things I look for and find soothing, become very much a part of who I am and what I want others to see in my work.
What Do You Want People to Feel When They See Your Work?
I want them to feel a connection whether it be with color, texture, depth etc. I'm constantly reminded to be in tune with myself and my surroundings, and no matter the medium or style I decide to use, it all comes from a place of feeling. I hope they feel something. Anything.
What projects are you currently working on or excited about?
Lots of HUGE commissions are in the works! Some are massive prints for client homes, others for lobby areas for businesses and hotels. I'm really excited to make some originals for a hospital here in FL, too!
How has professional printing impacted the way your art is shared, sold, or displayed?
Professional printing has opened up doors for many of my clients who may not be in the market for an original piece, but would love to have my art and show their support through having access to prints. Not only that, but working with art consultants and businesses who art looking for alternative options, prints have become a nice way to fill that need.
How do you use the Stackhouse for printing?
The Stackhouse has printed with me through various seasons of my work. From offering reproductions of my resin art turned to prints on metallic photo paper, to blowing up small abstracts on hot press bright paper, or turning my oil paintings into mini artworks that I offer as "Little Debi's," they can do it all! Without them, I'd still be on photoshop trying to do it all myself, pulling my hair out! I can literally drop off my work, have it photographed or scanned, and they do the editing and printing themselves. It's a total win-win. They makes it easy to keep choosing them as my go-to printers! Thank you all for your help and suggestions!
Do you have a favorite print or product (giclée, canvas, gallery wrap, etc.) that we’ve made for you?
Yes! I absolutely LOVE metallic photo paper for my resin work. The shimmer it gives and details you see in my original work, is shown beautifully in those! I also love a good hot press bright for my oil and acrylics.
What advice would you give to emerging artists starting out today?
Try it all! I've been told over and over again to stick to one style, that nobody will know who you are if you work in multiple mediums, and that's bologna. Do what you love, get really good at it, even if that means trying every type of material and narrowing it down to 3 mediums you connect with most (or however many you choose). If it makes you happy when you create, then do that! All of it! The most fun I have had with art is getting to work with multiple mediums. Enjoy the process, get to know how things move and work, and continually show up and keep learning. With that, your biggest mistakes will also be your biggest lessons. Accept them with grace and you'll be better for it the next project!
