Debbie Lynn's story
truly original artwork
Debbie Lynn Zwiebach describes her work as “doodles turned into art.” Her unique artistic style evolved through a process of formal training coupled with artistic improvisation. The “DLZ Originals” show celebrates her artistic career over her first 70 years with a selection of never-before-exhibited pieces.
Her story begins in the Bronx, New York in 1952 at her birth. Creating her original works has always been as natural to her as breathing. With a gift apparent to all, she won her first art award at just nine years old, when her work was published in the New York Times.
After attending the High School of Music and Art, Debbie Lynn received a BFA degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Following her MICA graduation, she stayed in her adopted city of Baltimore and has been exhibiting in one-woman and group shows ever since.
An accomplished illustrator, Debbie Lynn’s early work included a series depicting Baltimore landmarks. Most recently, her colorful aquatic images are on permanent display at the Johns Hopkins-Bayview campus Pediatric Emergency Department.
Her illustrations have been featured in major motion pictures and published in newspapers in New York and Baltimore. Her work has also been featured on WJZ-TV and was included in a documentary, “Artists Evolved,” which aired on PBS WNET13.
In recent years, Debbie Lynn has worked predominantly in pen and ink, utilizing acid-free colored pens to create the illusion that each colorful piece is actually a painting. As Debbie Lynn describes it, she is “painting with pens.” A true labor of love, she spends between 150 and 300 hours on each hand-drawn piece. No matter the subject or medium, the common denominator to all of her work is the attention to detail and the use of creative patterns.
The second part of the story occurred when fellow artist and MICA grad Hillary Figinski introduced Debbie Lynn to interior designer Felicia Zannino-Baker in 2008. From their collaboration, a product line was developed that features Debbie Lynn’s colorful, detailed designs in books, puzzles, textile printing, and handbags. She owns and operates a dedicated Zwiebach Creations Gallery in the Highlandtown Arts District.
The story continues with Debbie Lynn’s powerful solo exhibit at the Highlandtown Gallery and Zwiebach Creations Gallery. The “DLZ Originals” show includes 70 true one-of-a-kind pieces that have never been and will never be scanned or reproduced.
Intended as a celebration of Debbie’s 70th birthday, the exhibit includes a unique cross-section of her work created between 2006 and 2021. The distinctive pieces in this collection are available for a limited time at a special price. The common thread is exquisite design, pattern, detail, and color unique to the artist known as Debbie Lynn Zwiebach.
My Process
“My artistic process begins with a theme; it is as though a force steps into my soul and creates the series until it is complete. When I begin a piece, I do not know what will appear on the paper until it is touched by my pencil. The pencil drawing is the preliminary overall concept. At a strategic moment, pen and ink are introduced and I create the full design. The composition unfolds, stroke by stroke, as my instruments engage the illustration board. One shape forms another until it reaches its borders. Once the pen and ink are complete, the colors follow suit. I typically work on multiple pieces simultaneously; my goal is to strike the proper balance in the design, making sure not to “overwork” a piece”