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Hello

Welcome

I have been painting for as long as I can remember. I feel at home thinking in shapes, textures, and colors, all of which come more naturally to me than thinking in words. Words seem to be a second language, a necessary, transactional skill less aligned to the experience of an emotional, interior life. 

 

Artist Statement


The constant themes in my painting practice are clarity and reparation. I look to create  a history of surface mark making that bends toward the beauty of balance and resolution. My practice mirrors a strong desire to repair our broken world,  a world that is not predictable nor seemingly purposeful. In spite of experiences to the contrary,  I believe in the goodness of people; and that this world, our common human predicament, is getting better over time.  As I paint I work toward unwrapping this idea, looking for its  possible reality, often found hidden under layers of distracting activity and noise.


My process is intuitive. I bring into my studio emotional reactions and memories of those emotional reactions of everything that goes on around me. My memories influence my current perceptions, and I know that how I see the world will eventually  change my memories. I choose my color palette and support structure in advance, but everything else is determined by the experience of the painting process itself.  There is no preconceived subject matter, no preliminary drawings. Both composition and subject are determined by the process.  


I start new pieces by an accident of nature: either throwing a bucket of paint or scraping a mess of pigmented wax across the surface of the work. Then I go about cleaning up the mess, making repairs. I'll pour, scrape, brush, and wipe until I have claimed common  purpose with  the remaining layers of shape, color, and texture still clinging to the support structure.  I am comfortable working this way, it seems risky, but I like that. I like the "what if" possibilities. 


As I paint, almost recognizable images seem to pop up, hovering just below my conscious identification of the image. So far, I have rejected the invitation to give these images clarity. I want my work to be open-ended, I want the viewer to complete the story, not me. Titles are the most I  impose on a viewer's experience. They can act as sea anchors, a solid place to start the looking and thinking.


I hope my work brings the same joy to you, the viewer, that it brings to me, when I have the good fortune to successfully complete a piece. 


Biography 


I received my training at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine; Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California; and Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts, Atelier de M. Nallard, Paris, France. I also have 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.

I have exhibited nationally including: Anna Gardner Gallery, Stinson Beach, CA; Artist’s Space, New York, NY; ArtShare, Los Angeles, CA ; Brand Library Art Galleries, Glendale, CA ; Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA ; Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana; James Turcotte Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Joslyn Center of the Arts, Torrance, CA ; Long Beach Art Museum Rental Gallery, Long Beach, CA ; Los Angeles County Museum of Art Rental Gallery, Los Angeles, CA ; Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA ; L. A. Woman’s Building, Los Angeles, CA ; Malki Museum, Moronga Reservation, Banning, CA ; New Orleans Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans, LA ; Norris Theatre, Palos Verdes, CA ; and Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA. My work has been reviewed in the Daily News, Los Angeles Times, and Artweek. 


I have worked in graphic design, newsletter publication, website design, and education. I am a founding member of both the non-profit Mt. Washington Childcare and Preschool and the Mt. Washington Kinder-Care Co-op. I have developed and supervised ethnobotanical student gardens, including a garden docent program for the Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, CA. I created curriculum and supervised a Native American Project for the Highland Park/Eagle Rock 4-H Club, co-sponsored by California Releaf. I created greenhouse curriculum for the Environmental Science Academy at Walter Reed Middle School, recognized by Mayor Garcetti with a grant award to build a greenhouse science laboratory for the academy. My educational outreach includes ethnobotanical workshops at various school and community locations for children in the greater Los Angeles area.  After working for more than 18 years doggedly supporting the ultimately successful curriculum redesign of a large local public middle school into five smaller learning communities more aligned to student needs and interests, I have returned to painting full time, which is my first and primary passion. 


Exhibitions: 


"Art Matters" annual group exhibit: Huntington Gardens, Pasadena, California

March 26 - 28 2021 (scheduled)

"Aurora" online group exhibit and art sale; Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California

November 4 - December 11, 2020

LAAA annual exhibit and benefit auction: live stream, Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California

August 18 2020 

"Habitual" online group exhibit:  Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California

July 25 - August 10 2020

"Field of Vision" online group exhibit:  Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California

July 11 - 24 2020

"Gleaming Apollo" online group exhibit:  Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California

June 2 -11 2020

"Petit Works" online group exhibit:  Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California

May 14 - 22 2020

"Seclusion" online group exhibit:  Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California

April 9 - 17 2020

"Virtual Exhibit" online group exhibit: ArtShareLA; Los Angeles, California

February 29  2020 - present

"Let's Hang@ArtShare Salon" Group Exhibit: ArtShareLA; Los Angeles, California 

November 2 - December 20 2019

"Vs." Group exhibit: Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California 

August 17 - September 6, 2019

"Out There" Group exhibit: Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California

June 22 - June 28, 2019

Group exhibit and benefit auction: Gallery 824; Los Angeles, California

July 28, 2018

"Perimeter VII" Group exhibit: Art Share LA; Los Angeles, California

November 10 - December 1, 2018

"Summer Salon" Group Exhibit: Art Share LA; Los Angeles, California

June 16 - July 10, 2018

"Out There" Group exhibit: Gallery 825; Los Angeles, California 

June 8 - June 15, 2018

"Culture Factory" group exhibit: One Colorado, Pasadena, California

December 5 1992 - January 3 1993

Solo exhibit: Colony Studio Theatre, Los Angeles, California

July - October 1992

Solo exhibit: Norris Theatre; Palos Verdes,California

October 1992

Group exhibit: Norris Theatre; Palos Verdes, California

November 1991

Solo exhibit (exhibit changed quarterly): Wilshire Center Bank; Los Angeles, California

1988 - 1991

"Contemporary Abstractions" Group exhibit: Weingart Center, Occidental College, Los Angeles, California

July - October 1990 

Art auction and exhibit: Sunshine Mission for Women; Los Angeles, California

March 24, 1990

"Stepps Discovers L.A. Young Artists" Group exhibit: Stepps Restaurant; Los Angeles, California

June 1989  - February 1990 

"Recent Paintings"Two person show: Brand Library Art Galleries; Glendale, California

January 9 - February 2 1988

"Obsessions" Group exhibit: Joslyn Center of the Arts; Torrance, California

September 9 - 25 1987 

Group exhibit: James Turcotte Gallery; Los Angeles, California

January 3 - February 8 1987

"New Watercolors" solo exhibit: James Turcotte Gallery; Los Angeles, California

February 4 - March 1 1986

Group exhibit: James Turcotte Gallery; Los Angeles, California

December 3 - January 4  1985-1986

Group exhibit: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Art Rental Gallery; Los Angeles, California

February 1 - March 1 1985

Group exhibit: Night House, L.A. Theatre Works; Los Angeles, California

August 24 - November 1 1984

Group exhibit: Long Beach Art Museum, Art Rental Gallery; Long Beach, California 1982

May - September 1982

"Summer Show" Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Art Rental Gallery; Los Angeles, California 

May 11 - June 29 1979

"Posters, Books, Postcards - By Women" Group exhibit: L.A. Woman's Building; Los Angeles, California

December 15 - January 16 1978 - 1979

Group exhibit: Anna Gardner Gallery; Stinson Beach, California

October 1 - November 2 1978

"Artwork and Bookworks" Group exhibit: Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA); Los Angeles, California

February 28 - March 30 1978

Exhibit traveled to:

     Artist's Space, New York City, New York

     Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana

     New Orleans Contemporary Art Center

Group exhibit: Gallery Plus; Los Angeles, California

October 1 - October 30 1976


Reviews & Publications


LAAA Catalog Volume III: Los Angeles Art Association, (Scheduled for 2020)

LAAA Catalog Volume II: Los Angeles Art Association, 2019

"Book Features Illustrations by Debra Vodhandel", Larchmont Chronicle; December 27, 2010

A Story of Seven Sisters: A Tongva Pleides Legend: By Pamela Marx, Illustrated by Debra Vodhanel; Malki-Ballena Press, 2010

"Local Artists Display Works at Occidental", Star-Review, Highland Park News-Herald & Journal; August 1, 1990

"Artist uses Earth and Ashes for Expression", Daily News; January 20, 1988 Page 2

"The Art Galleries Downtown", Los Angeles Times; February 7, 1986 Calendar Section Page 22

"Woman's Building Anniversary", Artweek, December 16,1978 Page 7

"Quartet Showing Works at Stinson Beach", Independent Jounrnal; October 5, 1978 

"The Mailbox as Museum", Artweek, March 18, 1978 Page 5


Affiliations


Member: ArtShare Los Angeles;  January 2020 - present

Member: Los Angeles Art Association;  2018 - present

Sponsor: Art Division; 2018 - present

Sponsor: Art of Peace Club; Walter Reed Middle School, Los Angeles, California 2016 - 2019

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, inclusion in the Art Rental Gallery; 1979 - 1992

Gallery Representation: James Turcotte Gallery; 1985 - 1987


Contact:


Email:

debrajoanvodhanel@gmail.com

Instagram:

#debravodhanelpaintings

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/debravodhanel.paintings


 


Copyright © 2021 Debra Vodhanel - All Rights Reserved.

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