Deb Michell-Smith

Deb Michell-Smith is an Australian artist based on a farm near Narrabri in north-west New South Wales. Working primarily in acrylic on canvas, she creates expressive landscapes inspired by regional Australia, exploring themes of place, memory and connection through layered colour and recurring patterns. Growing up on a grazing property fostered a lifelong appreciation of the Australian landscape, which continues to shape her practice. Deb holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts and has been a finalist in numerous national art prizes. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions and is held in private collections throughout Australia.

I paint the places that stay with me.

​

Whether I'm walking through the outback, sitting beside the sea or driving home across the plains, I'm always noticing colour, movement and the small details that give a landscape its character. The flight of birds, the tracks through the grass, weathered rocks, a lone tree or the way the light changes across a paddock all become part of the story.

​

Back in the studio, I work in acrylic, building each painting through layers of colour, drawing and repeated marks. Pattern has become a natural part of my process. It helps me slow down, simplify what I'm seeing and capture not just what a place looks like, but how it feels to be there.

​

My paintings aren't about creating a perfect representation of the landscape. They're about memory, connection and the feeling of belonging to a place. I hope they encourage people to pause for a moment, notice the beauty in the everyday and perhaps be reminded of somewhere that feels like home.