Deb Aura Art by Debs Stott

I am a photographer and mixed-media artist based on the Isle of Wight. My work is shaped by more than eleven years of consistent creative practice anchored in paying attention to the places I live, my lived experiences and sensory responses on a daily basis. Living by the sea, I draw from the island’s weather, tidal movement, historical sites and unique landscapes. These conditions shape both my images and the way I work. I stay curious, pay attention, follow what catches my interest and build from there.

My practice centres on two visual languages: double-exposure photographs that layer local landscapes with light, texture, pattern and abstract meaning; and hand-drawn art maps that offer a simple way to explore life experiences and personal growth. These aren’t separate methods. They interweave across my exhibitions, writing and workshops, forming a conversation between my inner world, the island’s outer world and the people who spend time with my work.

Over the past decade, I have developed an approach based on embodied perception. Rather than letting the thinking mind lead, I pay attention to what the body registers when it encounters an image or moment: shifts in breath, sensations, warmth, tension or ease. These cues guide my creative decisions and the way I support others through workshops and in-person experiences. This practice, called The Alchemy of Listening, sits at the heart of my work as a way of turning visual and sensory encounters into creative exchange. It is a form of deep, embodied listening that turns observation into dialogue and reveals the interplay between our inner and outer worlds: a reciprocity between the viewer and the moment; the artist and the image. 

I value steady work, thoughtful pacing and creative practices that give people room to think and feel for themselves. My work offers simple tools for slowing down, paying attention and finding clarity through direct experience with places, our experiences and memories and our body’s own responses.