Inspiration for my work stems from the events of everyday life, how it affects who we are and how we of make our own connection. I find these connections by applying randomly and aggressively texturing the surface of the painting. I strive to find symbols within this surface because as human beings we look for these connections. The intent is that I follow these symbols to imply an image of how they intertwine and connect, and interpretation is left for the viewer to comtemplate. To me it is something that is changing; in that the response retained will invite a new perspective. My work resembles my friends, in that each one is different and unique yet all are influencing how I perceive and respond to my environment, building my awareness and widening my perception as I journey through the process; like the painting itself, one thing observed will overlap and influence another from beginning to end. In that way, one function of the work is that it becomes a tool through which the relationship to the materials and the process forms a relationship to ideals and perspectives. The work is intricate, and it is in this process which helps me move forward, and possibly the audience it captures.
EXHIBITIONS/Shows (Upcoming)
2012 Edina Art Fair June 1- June 3rd
2012 "Where Art Thou?" Achieve Services Gala May 4, 2012 Majestic Oaks Golf Club, Ham Lake, MN
2012 AAW Art-a-Whirl May 18, 19, 20th Showing at: Grain Belt 79 13th Ave. NE, Mpls.
2012 Blaine City Hall May 2012 - June 2nd
2012 Dunn Brothers Coffee House Fridley Mn. Jan.8- Feb. 29
2012 Banfill-Locke Center for Arts Group Show Jan.- Feb. 4
2011 Lowertown Artists AZ Gallery St. Paul Dec.-2 thru Jan. 15 Opening Reception Dec.10 7-10pm
2011 Heart of the Beast Puppet Mask Theater Dreams of Winter Nov.28 thru Jan. 1 Opening Dec.11
2011 NEMAA Fall Fine Arts Festival Grain Belt Bottling House Mpls. MN Sept.23-Sept.25
2011 Bethesda Hospital Group Show (Deborah Splain, Marcie Soderman-Olson, Aug. 3 thru Oct. 2nd
2011 Women's Building St. Paul Show Resurfacing Sept.-Oct.
2011 The Women's Art Instititute Group Exhibition July 8th-Aug. 7th 2011 MCAD Concourse Gallery
Opening Reception July 8, 6:00-8:00 pm
2011 Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts Member Show Oct.-Nov,7 2011
2011 Make a Wish Foundation Wish Ball Gala May 21, 2011
2011 Art-A-Whirl May 20,21,22 2011 Grain Belt Minneapolis, MN
2011 MacRostie Art Center, Grand Rapids MN "Layered Interpret tions" opening March 4
2011 "Temporality" WARM Artists, Grain Belt Bottling House, MPLS opening March4
2011 Paul Whitney Larson Art Gallery, University of Minnesota "Hidden Details" Jan.18-Feb. 11
2011 Special Event Women's Art Institute Scholarship Fund Benefit Sale March 26, 2011
Opening 3/26/11 6-9pm Northrop King Gallery Minneapolis, MN
2010 Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts Member Show 10-16 thru 11-5
2010 Bloomington Art Center WARM Member Exhibition 9/3 thru 10-8
2010 University of St. Cloud Atwood Gallery, Solo Show Research and Discovery 3/29-4/22/2010
2010 Art-A Whirl Grain Belt Building
2010 Foot in the Door IV MIA
2010 Art Per Chance
2009 Fall Fine Art Show NEMAA Art Quinox
2009 Dia de los Muertos Altered Esthtics
2009 Bloomington Art Center Members Show
2009 Art Per Chance MIA
2009 AAW Art-A-Whirl
2009 St. Paul Art Crawl Tilsner
2009 Banfill-Lock Center for Arts
2009 Edina Art Center Members Show
2009 Altered Estheics “The Struggle Within”
2009 Art-A-Whirl - Grainbelt Bottling House
2009 Spiritual Art Show - Kolbe Center of Pope John Paul II
2009 Art for Breast Cancer Awareness “Race for the Cure”
2009 Altered Esthetics Vending Machine Artwork
2005-2008 Brooklyn Park and Rec. Seasonal Assignments (art/special events)Children's Art Festival, BP Historical Farm, Community Activity Cntr. Spooktacular
1997 MN Zoo Mural – Children’s Underwater Sea Entryway Mural
1995-1996 University of MN, Coffman Memorial Union Mural, Underground
Tunnel area, Mural - “Cityscape”
1993-94 Artist in Residence, Brooklyn Park, Osseo District #279
“Celebrating Diversity” 2yr assignment Steering Committee
1991 Muddy Mo, Summer Art Festival Omaha NE;
“Celebrating Diversity” 2yr assignment
BIO
A Minnesota artist residing in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Deborah Splain draws from her experiences and environment to create her artwork. She has had a solo show at Atwood Memorial Gallery in St. Cloud and has shown her work at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, Edina Art Center, and Banfill-Locke Art Center as well as displaying at Altered Esthetics, Art-A-Whirl, St. Paul Art Crawl, and at Art Per Chance MIA. Her work has been seen this past year at University of MN Larson Gallery, and in March, at MacRostie Art Center, Grand Rapids MN. The artist donates her work to raise money for Breast Cancer Events, the Children’s Theatre, and Make a Wish foundation. She is a lifelong artist and teacher, whose art work has evolved and is currently exploring both figurative and abstract.
Her work reflects her own unique style, using a variety of mixed media to create meanings under hidden layers of paint, paper, are added by the artist but meant for the interpretation of the viewer. She plans on teaching some art classes in the spring and summer and was granted a partial scholarship for the Women's Art Institute Studio Intensive Program for the summer. She is devoting herself full-time to her painting preparing work for shows in the fall as well as one scheduled show for Jan. of 2012.
