Debra Houston Presents Light-Inspired Art At Carco Theater

Renton Municipal Arts Commission is working hard to bring some top notch artists into our community, and the newest exhibit at will be no exception. Debra Houston, an artist who works in acrylics and oils, will have a solo show from now through June 24th.

The artist says she is inspired by the Pacific Northwest colors and surroundings. Her work is rich in color, and playfully demonstrates street scenes, people, and landscapes. Umbrellas are a part of some of her paintings, lending a playfulness to some of the pieces.

The artist talked about how she creates her paintings by saying, “I work to push some boundaries with the lighting, shadows and then exaggerate the colors to try to create a sense of emotion. I don’t want my work to look like a photograph."

Yet she admits great respect for photo realism painters.

“I want to stir something within you when you stand in front of one of my paintings,” she says. “ I want you to feel the sun on your face in some of my landscapes or sense the chill in the air with one of the street scenes or to say to yourself, this reminds me of…,” Houston said.

Houston is a self-described "new artist," who only recently began promoting her artwork and starting to show it. She’s put herself “out there” she says, predominantly because of the urging of family and friends.

The predominance of light in her work came about during a period of loss in her life. When someone close to her passed away, she had a desire to read something meaningful at the memorial service. After much reflection and research on just the right poem, she eventually wrote something herself.

“The only way I could find to express myself was by asking him to ‘keep my path lit.’ To show me the way (through the light in my life) since he could no longer do it here with me on earth,” Houston said. Her art then began exhibiting that same amount of philosophical and artistic expression of reflection and shimmering of light.

Most recently, the artist’s work has been created using a pallet knife, which allows her to create in intricate detail. While oils are her first love, they also create a problem in that they need an extremely long time to dry. Houston has also started to experiment with using plexiglas as a medium.

To use Plexiglas, the artist says, requires more planning than in her other creations, and it allows you to “look through” her work and creates an entirely new dimension of reflection and examination of light as it plays on the glass.

The artist is currently working on a series of street scenes, three using vivid colors of red and three similar pieces in black and white. “The contrast is really fun,” Houston said, “I can see that having one of each in the same room could really create a unique statement.”

The Houston exhibit will show 14 pieces of her artwork, primarily landscapes and contemporary florals.  is open Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

You can learn more about the artist by clicking here.

The Renton Municipal Arts Commission is currently working on its Arts & Culture Master Plan, with a community wide steering committee. More about the committee and the master plan is available on the City of Renton’s web site. In addition, the commission has developed a registry for arts and culture where you can be notified about relevant cultural events.