painters
Artist Statement
Deborah Falls
Artist Statement
My work has evolved in tandem with my life. After college where I studied drawing and printmaking, I had the good fortune of moving to Southern California from the northeast. There I found a wonderful anonymity, clear light, bold colors, and the freedom to reinvent myself and my art. I created mixed media paintings and developed my printmaking practice, turning prints into one of a kind large wall installation pieces. I also delved into textile design and produced my own line of fabrics.
Once back in Vermont, I finally had my own home and went about planting a garden. I became smitten with these beautiful plants and their amazing structures, colors, and personalities. I quickly broadened my practice from abstract compositions to encompass the representational beauty of the botanical world.
I focus on the individual flower or plant, trying to discover its essence through the simplicity of line, form and color. I’m interested in the light and intimate space within which we perceive these plants and enjoy the timeless sense of antique botanicals in a contemporary translation.
My technique incorporates elements from the various disciplines in which I’ve worked , combining them into my own process of painting on silk. I use a hand-woven Indian dupione silk and a fiber reactive silk dye, for the irregular texture and vivid colors.
My work has been shown in Southern California and now around the country in nationally juried shows and galleries. It has also been purchased for public and private collections, the latest being the new cancer wing of The Yale-New Haven hospital.
Education:
Skidmore College: B.A. studio art
East Carolina University: textile design
San Diego State: printmaking