Deborah Jinkins

A two-time winner of the Brown-Forman Award, Deborah Jinkins’ work has been juried into regional, state, and national exhibitions and is held in private and corporate collections across the country. Jinkins is a signature member in the Kentucky, Georgia, and Southern Watercolor Societies. She served multiple-terms as president of KWS and also as Director of Aqueous USA, the KWS National Exhibition.  She is honored to have been named KWS Master Artist for 2022 and participate as a juried member of the Georgia Coastal Artists Guild.  Her work can be seen in Art Trends Gallery on Saint Simons Island.

Deborah’s work is often described as realistic with a touch of whimsy. She is not interested in copying a reference for accuracy but strives to express life’s moments with an honest, open heart. The personality of a swan, the complexity of flower petals, the serendipity of fallen leaves, or the attitude of a pelican all become spaces for the viewer to rest, be drawn in and experience a moment of reflection on this wonderful world. Art is meant to be more than a pretty picture on the wall. Art, she believes, feeds our souls and raises us up to live life more fully.

Her artistic influences include JMW Turner for his indefatigable dedication to explore what paint will do; Winslow Homer for his blues and grays of skies and seascapes; Georgia O’Keefe for her large scale subjects and lovely fusion of the real with abstract; Sonia Grineva, Jean Haines and Lynn St. Clair for their free and loose voice with the pigment. While there are many others that could be included here, she is grateful to all artists who seek their true voice and have the courage to express it.

A lifelong educator, Deborah holds a BS in Elementary Education, an MA in Educational Administration and Supervision, and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in Literacy Development from Texas A&M. She has served in campus and distric