The Magical Story Behind Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

I’m excited to announce the completion of a new abstract artwork and that the original painting is now available for purchase. High-quality prints are also now ready and can be added to your art collection through Saatchi Art. 

The story behind this painting

This painting was inspired by a beautiful and personal memory of mine. 

It was a magical afternoon on the ferry heading over to the city. I was with myself on a soul-rejuvenating "artist date"—otherwise known as a mission to get Thai food. (The small selection of restaurants on the island where I live sadly lacks ethnic cuisine.) 

It was stormy outside as waves crashed against the ferry. And in the distance, the mountains were covered with snow. It was so beautiful to be on the boat and simply enjoying the ride. 

In the background I heard the distinctive introductory chords to Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits. I turned around and immediately connected with the man playing the song. We sang the entire song together while he played his guitar. It was a magical, beautiful moment, and I will treasure it always.

About this painting

The colour palette of this abstract painting is a frothy white with a swatch of dark and light blues, ranging from cobalt to hints of pale turquoise. Impressions of a traditional wooden-spoked ship’s wheel repeat on layers throughout the painting.

Strokes of black create a signature of sorts, followed by 11 short vertical lines counting off in a row across the bottom of the painting.

The original acrylic-on-paper contemporary abstract painting measures 9” x 12”.

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

You can the original painting and prints of Romeo and Juliet online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Romeo-and-Juliet/499285/11315167/view 

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

Can You Feel the Love and Joy in These Paintings?

Love by Deb chaney (9’ x 12”)

This post is to celebrate the sale of 2 of my original abstract paintings. I am absolutely honoured to be mailing these contemporary artworks to San Diego, California. 

Their new owner is writer, speaker, and creativity workshop facilitator Jill Badonsky. Her book, The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard), is a wonderfully useful guide for creatives. 

Jill was my first mentor in the creative process and is the creator of the Kaizen-Muse creativity coaching program with Dr. Robert Maurer. I am beyond thrilled and excited that my paintings will be added to to art collection.

Joy by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

About these paintings

Both of these abstract paintings are acrylic on canvas. As you can tell by their titles, they share a common emotional tone and theme. 

Love is the more colourful of the 2 paintings, with striking squares of deep yellow and bold lines of bright red. Purple and white round out the colour palette with a flower and “love” playfully handwritten on the painting.

Joy has a lighter, more carefree colour palette of white, light yellow-orange, and peach layered over bits of dark red. The canvas is mostly white, with strokes through the paint creating an X's and O's board. A string of O’s loops along the bottom, while a larger one breaks the rules and sits upon the line between 2 empty squares. The word “JOY” is is stenciled in black in the bottom corner of the painting.

These paintings are part of my Litte Gems Series, pieces I create during my painting practice, when I’m teaching art lessons, and for my own fun and creative exploration.

About my Little Gems Series

My ongoing Little Gems Series is a collection of paintings that begin as practice pieces. I use them to hone my skills as well as explore and try out new techniques and ideas. 

Each painting in the series is bursting with the joy, love, and passion I feel in the studio. And all that energy and positivity is infused in every piece of artwork – which becomes my gift to you!

You can see more abstract paintings in the series here at Saatchi Art.

Prints and Other Original Artwork for Sale Online

While the originals have been purchased, you can buy high-quality prints of Love and Joy online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-Love/499285/4144078/view 

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Joy/499285/4140909/view 

You can browse through my Little Gems Series here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/Litte-Gems-Small-works-on-paper-and-loose-canvas/499285/160111/view

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives or agents.

Are You Longing for Petals in the Winter?

Longing for petals in the winter by Deb Chaney (11” x 15”)

This post is to announce that one of my original abstract paintings is now available for sale along with high-quality prints in various sizes. As the title of the post suggests, the painting is called Longing for petals in the winter. 

About this painting

This mixed-media abstract painting consists of acrylic paint, gesso, collaged book pages in English and Chinese, and calligraphy.

Look carefully within the collaged text of this painting and you will see at least 3 things: a poem, a page from a dictionary, and the title page from a mathematics book. 

Something I love to do is collage in old book pages, poems, and dictionary pages, and then find a word or sentence to inspire and guide the painting. In this case, it also became the title of the painting.

The colour palette of this contemporary abstract expressionist painting is dark greens, white, and light grey with a few areas of dark greys and black. The verdant forest green is trapped beneath the whiteness of the snow, while strong gestural strokes add a sense of upward motion striving to emerge.

This painting measures 11” x 15” and is part of my Little Gems Series, which I use for testing new techniques and practicing old ones. High-quality reproductions in a variety of sizes and canvases are available through Saatchi Art online.

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

You can buy the original painting and high-quality prints of Longing for petals in the winter online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Longing-for-petals-in-winter/499285/11013279/view

You can see more paintings in the Little Gems Series here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Litte-Gems-Small-works-on-paper-and-loose-canvas/499285/160111/view

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

My Thanks to the Collector of These 2 Paintings

Crossing Over i of ii by Deb Chaney (23” x 30”)

This post is to announce that 2 of my abstract paintings have been sold. I would like to extend a warm thank-you to Ms. Knowler of Burnaby, BC, Canada. I am deeply grateful for your becoming a collector of my original artwork and thank you for this.

About These Paintings

The complementary paintings are primarily composed of multiple layers of whites and greys.  On top of these are dark, rusty reds in thick, gestural strokes creating a sense of aggressive motion. Layers of faint black handwriting can be seen in the background.

The heavily layered and textured paintings both measure 23” x 30”.

These paintings are part of my Fragments of Life Series. I began the series in 2013 and continue to work on it and evolve it to this day.  Each painting is an echo of my own personal evolution and life journey.

Crossing Over iI of ii by Deb Chaney (23” x 30”)

About My Fragments of Life Series

I begin with a blank white sheet of roughly textured 23” x 30”  300-pound water colour paper, a palette knife, and some heavy body acrylic paint mixed with gel medium. And, most importantly, the compelling need to create. 

When I begin I often don’t know what the painting is about. As the process evolves, I learn about the painting and myself. Each painting can be a culmination of up to 20-30 layers added and taken away, taking anywhere from a week to several months for a painting to reach completion.

During this time I am in a relationship with the art piece and I learn its meaning and significance, understanding what the painting has to teach me and show me. There is often contradiction and tension – fuel for the creative fire. 

The blending and glazing of colours, the scratching and removing of paint to reveal under colours, the embedding of collage ephemera, the use of pencil and conte markings and scribblings all expressions of feelings of the beauty and the pain, the freedom and the frustration, the evolution and feelings of being stuck all encompassed in this journey of life.

These are the fragments of my life.

Other Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

You can buy high-quality prints of Crossing Over i of ii online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Crossing-Over-i-of-ii/499285/4195824/view 

You can buy high-quality prints of Crossing Over ii of ii online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Crossing-Over-ii-of-ii/499285/4195827/view 

More paintings in this series can be found here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Fragments-of-Life-Medium-Size-23-x-30-Paintings/499285/62385/view 

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives or agents.

New Original Artwork “Turn The Lights On”

Turn The Lights On by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

This post is to celebrate the completion of a new abstract artwork. Turn The Lights On is now available for sale on Saatchi Art. You can currently buy the original painting or high-quality prints in a variety of sizes.

About This Painting

Fresh out of the studio, this is one of 3 new spiritually inspired artworks that I recently created. The small paintings were inspired by the process of figuring out how to create my new large-scale Drishti Painting Series. I have been using these small practice pieces to work out the integration of sacred geometry marks using textures and layers.

A gamut of vivid pinks, including magenta, rose, and salmon, are spotted with dimples of yellow and gold, while textured layers of sacred geometry create mesmerizing depths to lead your eye around the canvas.

Concentric circles and stencils of the Flower of Life are repeated across the canvas on multiple layers, floating above light yellows, blues, and whites far in the background.

The bright pinks are uplifting and exuberant in creating this loving, heartfelt piece of art. This contemporary mixed media painting is part of my Little Gems Series.

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

The painting is also available as originals, prints, and for licensing for your design and/or TV Film set production projects. Please contact me directly for licensing inquiries at info(at)debchaney(dot)com.

You can buy the original painting of Turn The Lights On online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Turn-The-Lights-On/499285/10417021/view

You can buy high-quality prints of Turn The Lights On online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-Turn-The-Lights-On/499285/10417021/view

More paintings in my Little Gems Series can be found here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Litte-Gems-Small-works-on-paper-and-loose-canvas/499285/160111/view

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

New Original Artwork “One of The Originals”

One of the Originals by Deb Chaney (11” x 15”)

This post is to celebrate a piece of my original artwork becoming newly available along with high-quality prints. I recently discovered One of The Originals along with some other prints that I painted back in 2019. They are part of my Little Gems collection but had yet to be documented. So, after photographing them, I’m excited to share them with you. This is the first of 3 paintings, which can now be seen for the first time since its creation!

About This Painting

As mentioned, this painting is part of my perennial Little Gems Series. These small paintings are my practice pieces which I use to explore and test new techniques and ideas, while also honing and practicing old ones. Every painting is infused with the joy, love, and passion I feel in the studio when creating art. And that energy is imbued into the painting – my gift to you!

Measuring 11” x 15”, this mixed media painting is a little bit bigger than the typical 9” x 12” size of most of my Little Gems. It is inspired by the process of collaging old books and the beautiful tissue paper used in dressmaking.

Collaged pages of old books mingle with rich layers of acrylic paint, charcoal, gesso, and pastel to create a visually dynamic surface that invites expiration and contemplation. Distressed surfaces alongside striking marks and scratches juxtapose more curious and playful looping pencil strokes and circles.

The book pages are aged with yellow and ochre paints to create a sense of antiquity, while other colours include splashes of vibrant turquoise, patches of black, and a lot of grey and white.

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

You can buy the original painting of One of The Originals online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-One-of-The-Originals/499285/10399923/view

You can buy high-quality prints of One of The Originals online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-One-of-The-Originals/499285/10399923/view

More paintings in my Little Gems Series can be found here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Litte-Gems-Small-works-on-paper-and-loose-canvas/499285/160111/view

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

The Universe is Your Sanctuary i

The Universe is Your Sanctuary i by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

This post is to celebrate my newly completed original artwork, The Universe is Your Sanctuary i. The original painting is available for purchase online through Saatchi Art. High-quality prints are also available for your collection.

About This Painting

This painting is the first in a series of 3 paintings that are part of my larger series, known as my Little Gems Series. These paintings are my practice pieces, small artworks that I use to explore new methods and ideas and practice old ones.

Each piece of artwork that becomes a Little Gem is infused with the joy, love, and passion I feel in the studio. That energy is imbued into the painting and is my gift to you, the collector!

The 9” x 12” painting is acrylic on loose canvas.

At first glance, it’s like looking into deep space through the Hubble telescope, as the painting exudes a sense of cosmic energy and celestial wonder. Sacred geometry intermingles with stars against a striking black-and-white composition layered with splashes of rich blues, teals, and magenta, conjuring the depths of the universe. Together the colours create a harmonious symphony of tones to evoke a sense of serenity and tranquility.

Evoking the vastness of the universe, the abstract artwork invites contemplation and introspection. It would particularly make a great addition to any room where you’re looking to ignite your imagination.

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

You can buy the original painting of The Universe is Your Sanctuary i online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-Universe-is-Your-Sanctuary-i/499285/10303801/view

You can buy high-quality prints of The Universe is Your Sanctuary i online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-The-Universe-is-Your-Sanctuary-i/499285/10303801/view

You can see more small paintings in the Little Gems Series here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Litte-Gems-Small-works-on-paper-and-loose-canvas/499285/160111/view

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

Original Artwork Clearing Fear Sold

Clearing Fear by Deb Chaney (36” x 48”)

This is a post to celebrate the sale of my original artwork. I would like to extend a warm thank you to the Florida-based interior design firm, LC Designs, for purchasing my mixed media abstract painting Clearing Fear. I am very excited to see where this artwork is placed and I am truly grateful for your choosing my image for your interior design installation.

About This Painting

This painting is about “living above the line”. This is a lifestyle concept for well-being in which we choose mindful compassion and loving kindness in our behaviour and being. It rejects living “below the line”, which has us acting out of reaction, with hatred, jealousy, vengeance, or anger.

Living in this place of love requires conscious awareness. And I believe we must practice this elevated way of being, using all possible resources to remain there. This painting Clearing Fear is vibrationally imbued with the intention and sense of recognizing and accepting your fears, then releasing them to wash away.

This large-scale artwork measures 36” x 48” x 1.5”. The spiritually inspired painting is heavily textured and consists of the colours of white, gold, light blue, and eggshell.

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

You can buy high-quality prints of Clearing Fear online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-Clearing-Fear/499285/7181955/view 

The image of this painting was licensed to Netflix in 2022 for Season 1 of its series The Imperfects, where it can be seen hanging in a main character’s house. You can read more about this in an earlier post from last year.

This painting’s image is available in a high-resolution digital format for licensing for your interior design projects, TV and Film Sets, or personal art needs and print projects. Please contact the artist directly via email at info@debchaney.com for a licensing agreement and costs. 

A further selection of large-format textured abstract paintings can be found here in the Pure Abstraction collection: https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Pure-Abstraction-Medium-24-x-36-to-large-36-x-48/499285/66162/view 

Reproductions Prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit-mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

Original Painting "The Delight of Words and Paint i of iii" Sold

The Delight of Words and Paint i of iii By Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

This post is to celebrate the recent sale of my original abstract painting, The Delight of Words and Paint i of iii. I would like to extend my gratitude and a big thank you to Suzanne of British Columbia, Canada.

Thank you, Suzanne, for becoming a collector of original artwork. I am sold glad that you found (and love!) this Little Gems painting. It has truly been a delight connecting with you and establishing this connection through art.

About This Painting

As you can tell by the title, this is part of a series of 3 paintings. They were created while I was teaching a 3-day mixed media abstract painting workshop at the Pacific Northwest Art School on Whidbey Island in Washington State. 

I was sharing with the class techniques for layering, incorporating elements of collage while giving attention to the use of space and applying marks with mindful repetition. I am always grateful for this class at this beautiful location which I hold so dear to my heart. 

The painting uses space to create a tranquil and ethereal sense of airy openness. Darker forest greens contrast with lighter, mossy greens and white. Small repetitive squares, concentric circles, and gesture marks create motion on top of typeset words collaged below.

As mentioned above, this abstract painting is included in my Little Gems Series, which are small paintings that I create to try new techniques and practice old ones. And, of course, for fun.

You can buy high-quality prints of The Delight of Words and Paint i of iii online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-The-Delight-of-Words-and-Paint-i-of-iii/499285/3231564/view 

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

This painting’s image is available in a high-resolution digital format for licensing for your interior design projects, TV and Film Sets, or personal art needs and print projects. Please contact the artist directly via email at info@debchaney.com for a licensing agreement and costs. 

Reproductions Prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

Original Painting “New Year’s Eve” Sold

New Year’s Eve by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

This post is to celebrate the sale of my original abstract painting called New Year’s Eve. Like Seraphina iii, the painting mentioned last week, this was sold during the Gabriola Thanksgiving Studio Tour in November. I didn’t get a chance to meet the collector but would like to thank them for their support. And I think it’s great that we’re posting about this painting so soon after New Year’s Eve!

About This Painting

This painting was inspired by playing around and experimenting with different media and exploring what we can do by integrating them with words and numbers in different ways. The painting was created in front of an art workshop, so it was also inspired by joy and exuberance – as evidenced by adding FUN in all caps.

The colours I’m playing with in this abstract painting are iridescent gold, white, and black. As this is a mixed-media artwork, I’m also using a sand texture medium as well as an encaustic formula that I was teaching my students. The encaustic creates a very waxy and iridescent translucent layer. In the lower-left corner, you can see small circles over the word FUN. They’re textured indentations that look like real wax, even though they’re not.

For some of the text, I used India ink as well as vinyl lettering. And on another layer, I also applied micaceous gold, so in the bottom-right and upper-left corners you can see a mica gold texture. And finally, in the centre of the painting, there is a lot of sand. 

This painting is part of my Little Gems Series, a prolific series of small paintings that are created for fun, with joy, and for creative practice.

Purchase a print here: https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-New-Year-s-Eve/499285/4990087/view

See more paintings in this series here: https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Litte-Gems-Small-9-x12-Paintings/499285/160111/view

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

This painting’s image is available in a high-resolution digital format for licensing for your interior design projects, TV and Film Sets, or personal art needs and print projects. Please contact the artist directly via email at info@debchaney.com for licensing agreement and costs.

Paintings Selected for Surrey Art Gallery Sales and Rentals Programme

I would like very much to thank the jury and selection panel for the Surrey Art Gallery for choosing five of my large format original abstract paintings for the Surrey Art Gallery Sales and Rentals Programme . The painting shown above ‘Self-Kindness’ i of ii diptych is 36” x 48” x 1.5” mixed media on canvas is satin finish varnished, wired and signed on the back and is ready and available now for your office, home, TV of film set. For immediate rental please  contact Art Rental Manager at artrental@sagabc.com. This one of a kind, textured, unique modern contemporary abstract painting is predominantly snow white in colour with accents of periwinkle, gold and black. We’ll get into the colour meaning and Feng Shui of its mainly white colour in this blog. Self Kindness ii of ii is shown below and of the same measurements and “ingredients” so-to-speak. Both paintings are inspired by the quest to live with a feeling of self love, consideration and empathy.

About the colour white, as its the predominant player in this painting here. White, also referred to as colorless, tintless, uncoloured, undyed, unpainted, unstained,  blanched, clear, fair frosted, ivory, unpigmented, bleached, natural; snowy, milky, chalky, snow white, snowy white, milk white, milky white, chalk white, or chalky white, is the colour that represents fresh new beginnings. It is a colour associated with the divine. Spiritually, it is correlated with rebirth and renewal, love, light and illumination. I often recommend to hang up and include in your interior design a white painting in support of a re-start in your life!

Using the ancient art of Feng Shui, conscious object placement to accentuate and support a chosen area of your life, you would take a predominantly white painting like Self-Kindness I and II, or these other paintings that are currently in inventory and also mainly white; Sometimes the Journey can be Uncomfortable, Crossing Over i of ii, O and place them in the centre right hand side of your home/office/single selected room. This consciously done would support you in creating joy and inspiration around the areas of creativity and children. Remember children can be your creative creations projects and dreams, not only literal children. :-)

The three other selected original abstract mixed media paintings for the Surrey Art Gallery Sales and Rentals Program were; Acknowledgement (also predominantly white) 36” x 48” x 1.5” mixed media on canvas is satin finish varnished, wired and signed on the back and is ready and available now for your office, home, TV of film set. And lastly, Cheap Thrills i and Cheap Thrills ii - each are 30” x 40” x 1.5” mixed media on canvas with a satin finish, wired and ready for rental. Each of the three mentioned paintings available for purchase and rent are all predominantly white, hence the above colour meaning and Feng Shui recommendations would apply.