Debra Lott

 

Artist Statement

 

I create figurative oil paintings that empower women and reflect upon the human experience.  My portfolio includes socially conscious themes about privilege, abuse, marginalization, self-identity and body image. My work speaks to our society’s’ inequality and mistreatment toward women but also a response to the culture of the 1950s and 60s I experienced.  As a feminist artist, my personal journey is assimilated into my work as well as the shared female experience.

 As a child, my earliest influence was visiting a museum and viewing a portrait of a black woman by James Chapin, titled Ruby Green Singing. (Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach) To me this painting was powerful and provocative. I believe it stimulated my desire and passion to paint the human figure.  Another strong influence was my mentor, Graham Ingles, a former EC Comic Illustrator, who taught me how to paint, and continually directed my work toward figurative art and portraiture.

 As a visual commentator, my vision and process begin by exploring and researching themes of social and political injustice involving women. I research, visualize and plan how I want to accomplish my work by using models and photographic images and then creating designs, drawings, and paintings.

 I paint large-scale realistic paintings with richly colored palettes using the direct and alla prima style, capturing and expressing emotion with ambiance, chiaroscuro and a variety of color schemes.  The content and theme of each design determines my choice of style and technique which includes naturalism, expressionism, semi-abstraction and figurative distortion.