Meet the Artist

Deborah Sawyer has been involved in the arts from a very young age. As a girl, she learned the art of sewing from her mother and grandmother. She sewed clothes for surf shops as a teenager growing up in Hawaii to make extra money. Inspired by her mother, a fiber artist and painter, she has a great appreciation for the fabrics and textiles she uses in her crafts.

Deborah is inspired by Hawaii’s natural beauty. ” I feel that each doll I create has an inner beauty that is a reflection of Hawaii’s natural environment. I love working with the fabrics, the shells, the fun whimsical wild materials that create lasting treasures.”
Deborah was raised on Oahu and received her formal training in the arts at the University of Hawaii. She spent time living and working in Oregon art galleries over an eight year period and then moved back to the islands, this time to Maui.

Doll-making began in 1994 as a part-time hobby in her Kula studio which is nestled on the slopes of Haleakala. One thing led to another and today she is crafting dolls all year long. “Christmas is such a magical time of year, I love letting it be part of my life every day!”

Some of her passions include tennis, pickleball, swimming, hiking and collecting. She is very active and spends some of her free time at the beach.