Happenstance, 30” x 40” x 1.5” Acrylic and Ink on Canvas
“My abstract paintings often are inspired by the complexities of relationships, nature, and current events,” says new member Debra Perkins. As a committed abstract artist, she works in several media, including acrylics and cold wax medium and oils. She uses layering and excavation as well as lines and strong color combinations to create engaging paintings that draw viewers in.
After a long career in business and with non-profits, about four years ago Perkins decided to reduce her work schedule to make time to focus on creative endeavors. It was while she was taking classes at the Yellow Barn Studio & Gallery in Glen Echo, Maryland that she “fell in love” with abstract painting. Beginning with acrylics, she then discovered cold wax medium and oils, and began to develop her technique with these other media. “Acrylics can create a lot of texture,” she says, “but cold wax medium and oils even more.” To her, the texture in a painting can reveal its history, add interest, and be an important component of the composition.
Measure Once, 9” x 6”, Cold Wax Medium and Oil on Arches Oil Paper
Debra likes carving into the layers of a painting, especially when made with cold wax medium and oils. She relies on a variety of tools for this, including several that she previously used to make pottery. She also appreciates that the matte finish of cold wax medium and oils conveys a sense of warmth to the viewer.
Perkins’ output includes both stand-alone pieces and series. While she rarely begins a piece with a specific image in mind, her series contain common elements, whether colors, lines, shapes and/or techniques. One piece will set the tone for an entire series. She believes that an artist “has a right to choose” what style to work in, and that it can change and evolve in increments or more significantly, often resulting in individual paintings or series that are quite different than one another.
While abstraction offers artists great latitude, Perkins often likes to infuse a sense of organization—of structure--into her paintings. She does this by using geometric and more organic shapes as well as deliberate lines and edges. This aspect of some of her compositions, she reflects, may be a carry-over from her work experience.
Winds of Change, 40” x 30” x 1.5” Acrylic on Canvas
Among her many art influences, Debra counts modernists Mark Bradford, Robert Rauschenberg, Joan Mitchell and Mark Rothko, as well as impressionist Claude Monet. “I like all kinds of art, all genres,” she comments, “even if I wouldn’t want to make it or live with it.”
Joining Touchstone allows Perkins to meet multiple personal goals. For one, it gives her a way to show and share her work. “Being part of a gallery—going public--acknowledges that you take yourself seriously as an artist, and that you want others to as well” – that you are “making it a priority.” It also gives her access to a broader art community and this, in turn, contributes to her evolution and growth as an artist. While her first solo show at Touchstone is a couple of years away, she wants to give herself plenty of time to prepare for it so her work is not rushed and feels fully “authentic.”
—Sonya Michel