Artists in Our Midsts Featured Artist of the Month – Deb Chaney, Contemporary Abstract Artist
Here is the unedited interview with Artist in Our Midsts, Vancouver. I am grateful for this opportunity to be featured on the group website. Thank you!
Which artistic media do you prefer to work in and why?
I work in mixed media which for me is a base in acrylics and then on top of that nearly anything goes - from thick polymer mediums such as moulding paste and pouring medium to create depth, to collage including tissue papers and corrugated cardboard for texture, so earth materials such as sand for colour and texture, and finally to artist quality pens and pencils such as Lyza pencil crayons and PITT india ink pens for detail and fun.
With which past or contemporary artists or artworks do you, as an artist, feel a connection? What is it that draws you to them?
Mark Rothko - big bold paintings, his application of colour....
Helen Frakenthauler - staining techniques, her tenacity and art making spanning decades
Michelle Y Williams - my favourite modern artist, I own one of her original p ieces and would give my right arm to study with her!
Michel Keck - her business acumen and her ability to really succeed as a contemporary abstract artist in the marketplace. I admire this tremendously.
Eve Leader - the quality beauty and mystery of her work is amazing.
Sabrina Ward Harrison - her freedom, rawness, venerability in her journalling and art making capture me and I appreciate her risking it all to share her thoughts and words with the world.
What process or technique in art-making interests you?
What intrigues me is creating thick paintings that have thick multi layered encaustic wax-like effect, yet no wax has been used, instead the layer are accumulations of acrylics and mediums.. The process of applying and layering acrylics and mediums, scraping away paint, and doing so without leaving brush marks intrigues me. What technical challenges do you face in the process of making art?
Trying to re-create Serenity! I did this painting a couple of years ago and have been trying to figure out how I get to my end result and emulate that in other pieces...no such luck so far but lots of fun along the way! (
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debchaney/5228182902/)
What in your artistic training do you value most at this time?
How much of a role do accident and control play in your work?
Making art is an interplay between careful thought and planning and pure unbridlged passion and accident.
It's like the juggle bewteen right and left brain, push and pull. There is a component of both control and accident tthat I experience in my work. Often the more I let go the better the resulting piece!
What are some of your artistic challenges at present?
Prioritizing the plethera of oppportunites available today for artists such as for art shows, competitions, grants, artist and resdientces,...it can be daunting and it makes a big effort to set goals, be clear on my values and stay on track...
What are some of your artistic accomplishments at present?
Participating in the 2010 Vancouver East Side CULTURE CRAWL with my fellow studio mates.
Working as a consultant for Rainmaker, Inc in Vancouver doing some commission art for one of their movies.
Selling two pieces from my Kerrisdale gallery ( now closed).
Teaching workshop independently every month since August 2010.
Being a mentor for a Director Studies art student with the University Southern California Santa Barbara.
Can you share three things you’ve learned as an artist through your own art?
1. Keeping the three 3 C's in mind help make the process of art making easier. C- content ( be clear on what you're communication), C - composition (have a solid design as your foundation), C- colour ( know what colour scheme you're using).
2. Three Secrets that make an abstract painting "Wow". That is, having a sense of breathing space in the piece. Having something unique - a variation in the piece. And, having an area of strong contrast in the piece.
3. When it's not working, put it aside!
When you need inspiration, how to do you get it?
Sit and wait and let it come.
Walk in nature.
Stop painting and take break.
Paint when I don't "feel " like it and let the inspiration come to me...
Hang out with other artists.
Look at art online.
Go visit a gallery or see a coffee shop art show.
Look at children's art - always so free and inspirational!
Look at art books and magazines.
When you need to learn more as an artist, how do you do it?
DVDs, workshops, talking to other artists, asking questions, looking at art, reading, art magazines, teaching- they say you teach what you want to learn, i agree, I've learned so much about my own art making process by sharing it with others!
What is exciting on your artistic horizon?
A Possible Art show in San Francisco summer 2011.
A Possible New York show March 2012
An upcoming trip to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico and to check out galleries!
What is it about this artwork (self-selected work shown) that led you to choose it for this feature? What specific challenges did you face in making this artwork?
These are some of my favorite pieces over the span of the last 3-4 years. I chose some small 9 x 12 pieces on canvas because they represent the work I do while I'm teaching and demonstrating. I chose to show some of the pieces with many layers of mixed medis, sand and collage elements as its the springboard to where my work is leading me currently.
Thank you very much for this attention and honor. Sincerely, Deb Chaney
Dorita and Abby - looking gorgeous girls. Relaxing after all that hard work panting for 9 weeks!
Bev, proudly showing off her beautiful canvas pad pieces. Bev got so excited during the span of this class that she got insomnia many nights and would wake up at 4 am to paint! 
My Dad, Rob Bear, showed up to say hello, enjoy some lunch and show his support for myself and my class. He left that evening for Australia! Love you Dad. xoxox
Elizabeth's work had such vibrant colours, we all enjoyed her pieces she is showing here.
A few of my Little Gems series, many of which originate from demonstrations I make during class and that become finished art shows. See more Little Gem 9 x 12" original art pieces here: http://www.debchaney.com/debchaney/Art_Portfolio/Pages/Little_Gems.html
