Debra K. Jayne
What are your earliest memories of being artistic? When I was very young a gentleman came to my house and said that I had won a drawing contest and that I was very good at art. I of-course believed him.
When did art become a pursuit? In the 1980’s I was working as a nurse and raising a family when I started to become more interested in art. I had a chance to go back to school and decided to study art formally.
Are you self-taught or formally educated in visual art? I received my undergraduate degree in visual arts from the University of Washington and then my post- baccalaureate and MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in 2014.
How did you first become involved with CAA? A colleague, On Keong Seong, mentioned that she enjoyed being a CAA member. I took the cue from her and I joined in 2015. I have loved being a part of it and I have grown a lot in my art career since then. Erin Becker does a wonderful job in supporting the artist members.
In what other ways are you involved in the local art community? I am a founding member and on the Board of Directors at Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Junction, VT. I also teach community classes at AVA Gallery in Lebanon, NH.
What role do you think the artist plays in society? Art is essential in that it communicates perceptions, whether they be political, spiritual or philosophical, etc. It reflects a society’s values, it generates and translates ideas, enhances and enriches our world, and promotes collective memory for future generations.
What medium do you currently work in and how did you choose this medium? I work in oils and acrylics in painting and in printmaking. I choose the medium according to what works best for the piece I’m making.
What is your creative process? Where are you finding ideas for your art these days? I use printmaking tools for both printmaking and for painting. I enjoy manipulating paint to see what effects I can create. I find ideas from my imagination, through reading, poetry and music, and through photographs I have taken.
How do you choose your subject matter? Is there a reoccurring theme that carries throughout your work? I am from the Midwest and I have a nursing background. My subject matter and themes—of geometry, architecture, the urban environment, what is real and what is not real—stem from this background. I would have to delve deeper into this to explain how all it works.
In your opinion, what’s your best/favorite piece you’ve made? I love my painting “Sunset Boulevard” because it is from my imagination. I enjoy the way you are lead into it, its geometry, colors, and its push-and-pull effect, and how you are led off of the canvas. When I was painting it, my husband told me he saw a sunset in it, so I included that in the title. The painting’s geometry suggests an avenue leading into a sunset behind some buildings. There is of course the famous “Sunset Boulevard” in Los Angeles, which was not my original intent.. I have recently applied to an exhibit to get this painting in Los Angeles!
What is one of your artistic goals for 2018? I think one of the most difficult things about being an artist is to impose the self-discipline to work when there are lots of competing priorities. I want to dig deeper into my art to make it more meaningful. I’m from Minnesota and based in New England so I want to incorporate studies of rural architecture alongside the urban landscape.
What’s your favorite place to see art? I see art and am inspired by it every day no matter where I am. I love being blown away by an amazing moment of connection to the built environment or from nature. An example of this is when I was taking photographs of Frank Gehry’s Stata Center on the MIT campus as an MFA student. I saw my quirky reflection in its architecture. This experience will work its way into my art.
What living artists are you inspired by? I’m inspired by Tomma Abst, Isa Genzken, Bridget Riley, Stephen Westfall, Ann Pibal, Sarah Morris, Thomas Nozkowski, Daniel Rich, and Philip Taaffe to name a few. I enjoy Christo and Jean-Claude’s recent architectural piece, “The London Mastaba”, a pyramid-like form that glows red-orange in London’s Serpentine Lake because of the geometry and colors.
Do you own any art by other artists? Of course! Mostly prints of artists that I have worked with over the years.
Do you have any shows coming up? I just took a painting down from the National Prize Show at University Place Gallery in Cambridge and I have a painting hanging in New York’s “The 61st Chautauqua’s Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art” through July 17th. I’m also going to print a large wood block print, 2 feet by 4 feet, August 25th with Big Ink’s “The Big Tuna” giant mobile press with Lyell Castonguay Carand Burnet, and some colleague printmakers at Two Rivers Printmaking Studio. We’re printing individual prints. These prints will have potential inclusion in multiple venues. Also coming up are images of my paintings in the Studio Visit Magazine to be released soon this summer, volumes 41 and 42, juried by Lisa Crossman, Curator at the Fitchburg Art Museum and Steven Zevitas.
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