Hobby painter from Pembrokeshire exhibits works at local gallery
A hobby painter's first solo exhibition is now on display.
Deborah Thomas, who is self-taught and based in Pembrokeshire, is showing her pastel works at the Joanna Field Gallery at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven.
Ms Thomas said: "After a long time away from painting, I picked up a pencil and decided to draw.
"I tried working with both pastel chalks and pencils and loved working with these mediums.
"I paint as a hobby and became self-taught and I love painting to detail."
Born and raised in Milford Haven, Ms Thomas developed an early interest in art during her school days at Milford Central School.
At the age of eight, while living in Devon, she was accepted into an art college in Newton Abbott.
The comic strip Andy Capp, created by Reg Smythe and published in the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror, inspired her childhood drawings.
Despite her early passion, she put down her pencils for around 20 years after leaving school.
Her first piece after returning to art was a portrait of Marilyn Monroe.
(Image: Deborah Thomas)
Her collection now includes works such as The Violin, Celtic Barn Owls, White Thunder, a Bald Eagle, a White Iceland Falcon, a Beagle, and Mum and Baby Fox.
Art remains a form of escape and relaxation for Ms Thomas, who cares for her elderly mother, Diana.
She said: "I don't paint as much as I'd like to but when I do paint, I'm transported into my own little world.
"It's like an escapism and I need to be in that atmosphere to paint."
Her family has been supportive of her artistic journey, including her son Gregory, who lives in Australia and owns one of her paintings—a lion's head.
Ms Thomas said: "Having this exhibition at the Torch Theatre does mean a lot to me.
"I'm excited, but there's a bit of anxiousness involved but overall I'm really very excited."
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