School certificate Art …. about 1966, and nothing again until I retired about 6 years ago!
Took an art class with Jane Sinclair and was absolutely hooked on applying paint to canvas. I have stayed with acrylic as my media of choice…partly because I’m not sure that I have become an artist, but certainly see myself as a painter, and I am impatient! I attended Jane’s classes for a long time, becoming more and more daring both in subject matter and with the use of mediums to bulk out and provide textural interest to my work.
Initially I went through a phase of “knifing” paintings that I felt were going nowhere. (ie I took a knife to the canvass to ‘destroy the evidence”). I have since discovered gesso and how to optimize unfortunate errors and turn them into something that might become or provide an interesting focus.
I have sold works, completed commissions, but mostly if someone admires a work, I will give it to them. (Not a great business model).
My style tends to be bold modern expressionist. While I admire replication, and photoreal works I prefer paintings that are more expressive and suggestive and continually work to create works that ‘ask questions’. I am strongly influenced by Van Gogh, both in style and subject matter and will likely go to my grave attempting to get within a fraction of his style and elegance. (Even if I go a bit crazy in the attempt).
I love colour and have to work hard to restrain my palette, but as a keen gardener I am greatly attracted to painting flowers, so give myself free reign under most conditions to go wild with colour and the capture of light. My garden is as unstructured as my paintings. More recently I have challenged myself with paintings that are based on a limited palette, however, there always seems to be one vibrant colour even if there is some restrained toning.
One of my greatest joys is to paint with my grandchildren and learn from their unconditioned, limitless creativity. We have experimented with pouring, dripping, painting unicorns, blowing inks, using printing blocks, printing from leaves, painting with balloons ….it’s endless and joyful, and as much an influence on my work as VG….well except for the unicorns!
Debbie can be contacted via email: [email protected]
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