Debbie Bankert

Everywhere I place my feet, I see God's handiwork, imagination, beauty and His voice speaking through it all. I am constantly inspired through nature and specifically the smaller things people sometimes pass by without noticing.

My art career began, as with many of us, during childhood. It was my mother who encouraged me and later in life my husband and daughter. I have always loved the outdoors and enjoy hiking in these gorgeous North Carolina mountains.

My education included a B.A. in Art Education from West Virginia University and an M.A. in Behavioral Disorders from Marshall University. I taught both elementary and secondary grade special needs students for several years incorporating Art Therapy — which I still use with various women's groups. Later in life, after taking one course and falling in love with botanical art, I received a Certificate of Botanical Art and Illustration from the Corcoran College of Art and Design.

Through the American Society of Botanical Artists, I received two grants to document endangered and endemic plant species in the Santa Marta mountain range in Colombia, South America. This led to a special exhibit of those works at the Colombian Ambassador's home in Washington, D.C. Those journeys to the El Dorado Reserve have been the highlight of my artistic career. In 2027 I will be returning to Colombia to teach botanical art with pen & ink and graphite to a select group of women with Women For Conservation.

Currently I am working on native plants of Western North Carolina, with the realization it will take a long time to accomplish what I would like to achieve. I have a few completed plant portraits for this project and am working on a composition for Oconee Bells — rare and vulnerable — near Lake Jocassee. It was fun going down to the streams to find this tiny, endangered beauty while being very careful not to damage anything in my path.

I like to work with watercolor, colored pencil, watercolor colored pencil, graphite, pen & ink and silverpoint, in addition to occasional acrylic or oil painting. Most of my work is watercolor or mixed media.

Since Hurricane Helene I have been following reports of damage. We live in the heart of affected national and state forests, and I am hopeful they will recuperate — not only from the hurricane damage that caused major winds, mudslides and floods, but from the 2025 fires as well. My goal is to document this natural beauty for future generations to discover and enjoy.