Debra Vodhanel
Debra Vodhanel is an abstract, intuitive artist concerned with themes of identity and attachment. Born and raised in Los Angeles, some of her earliest memories are of the pleasures of swimming and the fear of watching the news of the Cuban Missile Crisis unfold on her family’s newly purchased television set in the 1950s. She found love during the Cold War, got pregnant and started a family in spite of predictions of nuclear winter. She is a constant doomsday planner and has no idea why she still thinks the world is getting better, climate change notwithstanding. She couldn’t live without hope.
Hope is what humans are made of: hope and stardust. Debra sees the activity of artmaking as one of the most basic of human activities: time spent on task is what distinguishes the professional artist. She has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from U.C. Santa Cruz; masters degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena. She received her art training at Ecole des Beaux Artes, Atelier M. Nallard, Paris, France; Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California; and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine.
Her recent collection, “crossings”, explores how we cross over into each other’s lives, especially the lives of our loved ones. Even when we can no longer touch one another, are no longer physically present for each other, we still change each other through our love. We are never ever truly alone, as long as we love.
Website: www.debravodhanel.com
IG: @DebraVodhanelPaintings