Debbie Hughes
About Me
Debbie Hughes is a painter and illustrator who’s work has been published worldwide. She is one of the few women illustrators who has successfully broken into the male dominated field of Science Fiction and Fantasy publishing. In addition her paintings have been sought after by collectors in the U.S. and abroad. Debbie is a graduate of Furman University. Debbie and her husband Dean live in rural north Georgia with two cats. There she spends most of her time working on paintings for herself and private commissions. Debbie’s theory on art and it’s process: “Good art is the process of taming creativity with technique, unchaining yourself from technique to create and ultimately allowing the muses to speak through your hands and eyes.”
Things you may not know about Debbie
Debbie's Grandmother was Hildegarde Hamilton, a well known impressionist landscape painter.
Debbie wanted to be a dancer and took extensive training in Jazz, Modern and Folk Dance which also included Choreography. She realized she did not have the training needed at a very young age and decided to devote herself exclusively to Painting.
Debbie worked at the Greenville Museum of Art in Greenville, SC in the summer of 1980. There she had the good fortune to study the works of Andrew Wyeth and N.C. Wyeth since this museum had the World's Largest collection of the Wyeth's works at that time.
Debbie was the Lead Singer for a Rock Band called HQ in Knoxville TN for 5 years. The Band was also immortalized in the book Cumberland Avenue Revisited: Four Decades of Music From Knoxville Tennessee by Jack Rentfro. Debbie was even asked to form an all girl band by a producer but turned it down.
Debbie worked for Dr. William Bass briefly in Knoxville TN doing illustration of Bones. Dr. William Bass is well known in the world for his Forensic Anthropology. Debbie did illustrations of Bones loaned out to her from the Anthropology Department which came from the "Body Farm" . Those illustrations were used in training for the police department when they needed to identify the age of women that were buried. Debbie worked for Dr. Bass in the early 80's - 1984-1985.
Debbie has illustrated for many notable authors including Sir Kingsley Amis, Ben Bova, Alan Steel, Jack McDevitt, Roger Zelazny, Spider Robinson and many others. She has won numerous awards in the field of Science Fiction and Fantasy. She has been the Artist Guest of Honor at 14 conventions.
Debbie is a member of The National Association of Women Artist. NAWA is an organization that was created in 1889 to promote women in the arts and has represented women nationally as well as internationally. Debbie was inducted into this organization in November of 2019 and joins a distinguished and limited group of women artists.
Debbie's Biography and works are listed in Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary, by Jane Frank, 2009