California Period - Jacaranda Painting

Thoroughly modern, yet rooted in tradition” - Guideposts.    “Filled with Renaissance resonances.” - Dr. Kathryn Barusch - Graduate Theological Union  “The work is filled with positivity and life enhancing energy.” - NYC Gallerist Nancy Hoffman  ​Biography Deborah Lanino was born in New York and currently lives and works in Los Angeles.  Early in her career, she illustrated over a dozen published book jackets and picture books. (her first was the Christmas classic, “The Littlest Angel”).  Deborah taught college art for over 10 years and holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from Pratt Institute and a Master’s Degree from Argosy University. She also studied art abroad at SACI in Florence, Italy. Deborah exhibits her paintings in galleries nationwide.  Artist Statement I remember drawing as soon as I could hold a crayon and was fortunate that my family encouraged my love of the arts.  My first sentence was “I See.”  When I was a college junior at Pratt, studying abroad in Florence, Italy, I traveled north on a train, and saw the churches, museums and an exhibition in Vercelli,  commemorating 400 years since the death of Renaissance painter Bernardino Lanino (1512-1583).  I learned about the prolific Lanino Workshop near Milan and of direct ancestral connections. In my work, I use Renaissance techniques such as chiaroscuro (lights and darks), sfumato (blurring edges) pentimento (painting over), delicate layers of glazes and  impasto. Some of my works have symbolic and metaphorical elements  and other works are abstract, yet contain meditative and transcendent tones through light, color and design.  The natural beauty of the west coast influences my palette. Themes from scripture can be found in my work, the goal of which is to uplift and bring positivity to the viewer.