Deborah is happy to let the ‘magic happen!’ when it comes to her art…

Deborah Cogley is a self taught contemporary/ abstract artist who is obsessed with the sea, sunsets, hot air balloons and gorgeous colours.

Ms Cogley loves colour and her work is an expression of how different colours can uplift our emotions and help our homes feel like more joyful and calm places.

There are lots of hidden messages in her pieces but the most striking one is to have fun and enjoy the everyday moments

After a 20 year career in Business, Media and Technology, Deborah recently realised her dream and became a full time Artist.

She has had numerous exhibitions and her work can be found in private homes, restaurants, hotels and embassies throughout the world. Her work can be viewed and purchased in person in the Irish Design Gallery in Dún Laoghaire and the Gaslamp Gallery in Gorey.

In addition to the original paintings and limited edition Fine Art Prints, she also has a range of lifestyle products available including cushions, lamps and tote bags on her website.

“I was a Director in a tech company and gave that up last December to go full time with my art which was a leap of faith so now I’m covered in paint and loving life!

When I’m painting I go into a completely different zone, I turn on my music and I pour my paint and off I go.

I’m lucky that I have a lovely studio with lots of space so I just go into a different world when I’m working on my art,” said Deborah Cogley.

Apart from when I’m working on commissions, I never start my art with a plan; I usually pick up the colours and see what develops from that. There is a lot of happy accidents such as when I am working with purples, blues and pinks and I may put in a little bit of yellow and the piece will go in a different direction.

Seeing the direction in where the art will go to is lovely and it is great to allow the magic to happen! There is very rarely a situation in a painting that you can’t turn it into something beautiful Deborah said

Deborah does a lot of commission work and loves meeting clients directly to see how a piece of her art can enhance their homes; she will liaise with the clients to create something that works with the colour scheme and theme in their homes and create a piece of bespoke art that fits the space perfectly.

“Having the client involved in the creation process is really fulfilling because once you’ve chosen the colours and theme, you weave them and their lives in to the story of the painting and create something really unique that lasts a lifetime,” she said.

“My latest collection is all seascapes, hot air balloons and lighthouses; they are based around that uplifting feeling we get when we are by the ocean and how we come away from a day at the seaside feeling happier and lighter.

I’m genuinely obsessed with hot air balloons and the sea and I would happily paint them everyday for the rest of my life as well as lighthouses, right throughout the day the colours change depending on the sky and the clouds, there is a sense of adventure and fun to hot air balloons.”

As to what the future holds?

“I want to get the collections created and built, creating the work at the moment is a lovely place for me to be in especially with summer coming. I’m also getting ready for my exhibitions coming later in the year as well as working with galleries and on commission pieces, I’m busy but it’s great,” concluded Ms Cogley.