Deanna Hunt is a visual artist, writer, teacher and environmental advocate with the faith that society can and will wake up to our primary role as stewards of this planet. Art practice, for Deanna, is rooted in the appreciation of beauty, the desire to connect with nature, and the aspiration to elevate the divine within the human experience. Her art and social practice includes drawing, painting, installation, writing, pedagogy, teaching, community-based projects, collaboration, and performance. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, Deanna lives during the academic year in Stockton, California, where she teaches Visual Art, Yoga Philosophy and Practice, at University of the Pacific. Having spent over ten years living and working in Italy, Deanna’s visual and cultural sensibilities are influenced by Italian culture, art and architecture as well as by American Modernism. She earned her MFA in Painting from Portland State University. Her drawings, prints and paintings are included in numerous collections including Oregon Health Sciences University, Robert and Jeannette Powell Art Collection, and the Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic Arts Collection. Recently as a resident at Vashon Artist Residency, she discovered her ideal paradise island.