Location: United States
British born and educated, now residing primarily in California
Debra considers herself to be a self taught artist, influenced by many of today's living contemporary realist painters . Her creative journey has spanned a life time, in her youth she became entranced by the technical skills of the Pre Raphaelites and French realists from the 19th century such as Bouguereau and Jules Baisten.
Relocating to Cornwall gave her the delightful opportunity to frequent the Penlee House Museum, which exhibits the Newlyn School artists, founded by Stanhope Forbes in the late 19th century. Debra was amongst a group of artists that took day-trips to the quaint fishing port to both, soak up some spectacular Cornish coastlines and gain inspiration from the captivating realism depicted in the paintings of everyday Cornish life.
In 1998 Debra graduated with a BA Hons degree in illustration in Falmouth Art University .
During these studies she was introduced to oil painting, although the majority of her technical skills were developed through exploration post college, she did learn some valuable lessons on how to tackle unique visual projects conceptually and meet tight deadlines.
Sitting with her thoughts and grief during the pandemic was the catalyst for a new artistic direction of contemporary figurative realism. Inspired by feminine narratives she began to focus her attention towards visual story telling in an attempt to celebrate valiant women she adored in her community.
The Golden Threads you see in my oil paintings represents primal energy that runs through everything in life: our inherent womanly connections, our intuition, our process of re-defining our place in the present.
The catalyst of this collection is inspired by feminine narratives with a focused intention to create a visual dialogue exploring valiant female dispositions. My goal is to paint sensitive & honest depictions of empowered women in my community, illustrating their beauty through purpose, strength and to portray a story of vision.
I hope to cultivate strong emotional connections and celebrate cherished friendships. Motivated women in my life gift me the courage to pursue my own artistic path, and during the creative process, our conversations speak of walking within our true dharma.
23K gold is delicately gilded into the compositions
‘Twisted Glove’ suggests a playful narrative, she adorns antique opera gloves whilst dancing naked. Society, through history was obsessed with a covered hand, female etiquette was focused on a demure nature & maintaining modesty
I celebrate radical women, and am inspired to dance alongside
Oil on Aluminium Panel 26"x 20"
Collection of Figurative Realism in oil
‘Being Me’ a portrait of my housemate & friend Hannan
Occasionally a painting narrative will flourish from a dialogue I’ve had with my model, feeling like it initiated from a collaboration. After some brainstorming I share my visual interpretation and clarify the subtle symbology to see if resonates.
’Being Me’ is a lovely example of that Scenario, since we live together during the pandemic we had ample time spent in conversation. Through learning about her life experiences and how she chooses to rise above any perceptions that society can put on her, I was inspired to create a painting that illuminates her strength, resilience and beauty.
Her crossed arm pose represents the urge she feels each day to protect herself, whilst the visible roots symbolize the connection to her faith that keeps her grounded. Since orchids thrive in some of the most remote parts of the world, yet they bloom for months with vibrant colors they, like her, are petite and delicate yet also very tough.
“Twisted Glove”
“Leather & Lace ”
“Threads of Gold ”
“Three Gold Threads”
“Being Me”
