Debbie Hoskins: Spiritual Artist & Writer
What is a spiritual artist and writer?
Through spiritual art and writing, I process emotions and daily occurrences, which when shared inspire others.
My career and lifelong creative journey includes reading and listening to books and avid writing and drawing in journals and sketchbooks. Through this sketching and writing, I am exploring and defining what visual journaling means. This practice gets thoughts down on paper in order to understand and create personal meaning. There is a playful interchange between words and pictures that together express and produce a visible wholeness indicative of body, mind, emotion, experience and spirit. I am working on a memoir with creative suggestions and prompts using the technique of visual journaling.
Labyrinths are the basis of my artwork, a vessel. I am the author and illustrator of Exploring Labyrinths: A Mini-Tour and Coloring Experience and a certified labyrinth facilitator. The labyrinth is a meditative tool. It has ancient beginnings, but is found in the Catholic tradition, and is practiced in many different churches, organizations, and institutions. By walking we can heal from trauma and other issues.
Artist’s Statement.
By viewing my fine art and reading my books, I want you to be transformed by your own creativity and spirituality. My work is musical because I use symbols, including labyrinths, waterfalls, colors, and shapes, instead of notes and sounds to create an emotional atmosphere. A common theme for me is light and color coming out of darkness. I use art and photographic references sparingly and only for portraits. Compasses are not used to draw labyrinth designs. Images are purposely hand drawn to produce unique art.
Qualifications.
Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator.
Labyrinth Exploration: 2005 to present.
Fine Art and Illustration for Children’s Picture Books: Young adult to present.
Caldecott Committee Member: Oscars for Children’s Picture Book publishing given by the American Library Association.
My artwork is in public and private collections and has been exhibited in numerous juried shows held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Detroit.
Preferred Mediums: Pencils and watercolors.
Education.
Drexel University: Masters of Science in Library Services. Specializing in youth library services and youth picture books.
Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio. Labyrinth Facilitator Training.
Philadelphia College of Art and Design.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Columbus College of Art and Design.
Vassar College: Children’s Publishing and Writing Institute.
Kent State University: Bachelor of Arts.
John Carroll University: Study of mandalas, mysticism in the arts, religion, and philosophy.
Born in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. Girlfriend, grandmother, mother, and daughter. A busking keyboardist. Contemporary dancer. Listener to non-fiction, fiction, and music. Tarot card maker and reader. Journaler. Walker of the dogs.