Debra Vodhanel
ARTIST
Debra was born in southern California in the 1950s and found her way to adulthood during a chaotic period of social change during the 60s and 70s. She received her training as an artist at Skowhegan School of Painting and sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine; Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California; and Ecole NationaleSuperieure des Beaux-Arts, Atelier de M. Nallard, Paris, France. Debra also has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Philosophy from U.C. Santa Cruz; and a Masters Degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, California.
Artist Statement
Paint, wax and plaster can transform colors, textures, and shapes into images that trigger memories of significant past experiences. I look to see if I can reframe these experiences into a deeper imagining of what is real, what could be hovering just below my conscious identification. I paint about attachment, our shifting identities, and reparation of this fragile but resilient world. I work toward unwrapping the ideas that we can heal, that the world is getting better over time, that humans are innately good. Paintings unlock a language that communicates to our better selves. We are all products of our past and shaped by the stories we remember.