CityView Magazine

arts Behind the Mask Local artist represents the mysterious side of life in Halloween-esque creations M By Kelly Twedell eet Deborah Belles, an artist and co-owner of Reliable Signs with her spouse. When not working, Deborah creates dramatic headpieces from latex and other mediums. What started out as a mere hobby, has turned into a business with customers purchasing her wares from all over the world in her Etsy store: PunchMonkey Designs, named after her cat. Artists aren't made. They are born. This longtime Fayetteville resident has always had an appreciation for art and said it ran in her father's genes. He was a painter and her brother, a sculptor. As a kid, Deborah said she was more of a tomboy with a penchant for drawing insects, bugs, dinosaurs and reptiles. Though she grew into loving to paint throughout high school, the family joke was that her work always went straight from the walls into the closet, in a quick manner. "I remember hand-painting album covers on t-shirts and banners to take to concerts," recalled Belles. "Ozzy Osbourne, Rush, Iron Maiden and bands like that." Her mother preferred more traditional and refined works of art. After joining the military at Fort Bragg in 1986, Deborah spent three years in the supply section for the 82nd Airborne Division and managed to unleash her creativity for the good of the Army. Her chain of command used her to paint murals on dayroom walls so others could appreciate her talents. While she might not have found a career in the military, she found love. After 28 years, Deborah recalled how they first met in the dining facility and been the best of friends ever since. If you've found yourself at Fourth Friday, chances are you have seen Deborah in her belly dance attire. Belles has been practicing the Middle Eastern dance art for many years and performs with two different troupes. Through this form of dance expression, Deborah explained how the music and costume attire embody the experience. It was in 2010 when she created her first headpiece for a themed show that was inspired by the forces of good and evil battling each other. Portraying the evil force, Deborah's headpiece was dark and mysterious. After receiving numerous compliments on her headpiece and successful feedback on Facebook, she CityViewNC.com | 23

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