Deb Aldo, Principal Designer for Pietre Dure Design has been an artist for as long as she can remember. The creation of "cave" paintings from the bars of her crib was a favorite pastime... moving on to paper, crayons and paint she experimented with color and shape; going way outside the lines of what ever coloring book was at hand.
During high school much time was spent in the studio painting, drawing and sculpting. She won several awards on both a state and national level for her illustrations and design work. She received her undergraduate degree from Suffolk University in Boston, MA followed by an art degree from Swain School of Design. Growing up in a farming family gave her an affinity for the land and for gardening. After graduating from college in Boston, she took full advantage of the urban setting to visit the local museums, gardens and cultural amenities that are so prevalent in that historic city. She worked as a graphic designer and did free-lance illustration and visual display for catering and retail companies. Next came a master gardeners certification which served to broaden her plant knowledge, understand soil, nutrients and plant diseases and planting practices.
As a "grown up" years later she returned to college as a nontraditional student and enrolled at the University of Connecticut with a double major of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture, she graduated with honors. During this time Deb studied formal landscape design theory and principals, sites of great historic significance such as Versailles in France, Villa Gamberia in Italy and many others in Europe, Asia and America. She became familiar with many noteworthy landscape architects, architects and designers throughout history and the world. The biggest gift was learning how to visualize new ways to see and use the land. She began to design and create spaces and objects that began as a vision and resulted in the construction of a project. This process begins with concept sketches followed by revisions, plans, sections and elevations followed by construction. Seeing something come into physical existence where there was formerly only a vision in her head is the greatest thrill and worth the price of still another college degree!