Biography
Deborah Lanino has a unique connection to the art world. As a direct descendant of Bernardino Lanino, a successful Renaissance painter from Vercelli, Italy over 400 years ago, she finds this connection imbues her fusion of impressionism and expressionism with a unique insight.
Before relocating to Los Angeles, Deborah lived in New York City where she worked as an award winning illustrator of over 50 published book covers, children’s picture books, magazine covers and posters for the theater. Her first published book was the children's Christmas classic "The Littlest Angel."
Deborah holds a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute and a Masters Degree from Argosy University. She also studied art and art history at SACI in Florence Italy.
Today, Deborah can often be found in her studio. Her art appears in various collections throughout the world.
Artist Statement
I remember drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. Much later, while studying at SACI in Florence, Italy during my year abroad, I had the opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of a part of my own heritage and a unique link to the art world. Bernardino Lanino (1512-1582), a successful Renaissance painter from Vercelli, Italy, is a direct ancestor. His works from so long ago still have a powerful impact on the viewer today.
In my own art, my goal is to create something transcendent and sublime, something that the viewer wants to look at for a long time. I use effects such as the soft, misty brushwork of my ancestor Bernardino, as well as chiarsoscuro (lights and darks) and sfumato (smudging). Color fascinates me. I work with a vibrant palette creating painterly layered glazes and impasto effects.
I thank God for the gift of art and the joy it brings. I approach the canvas with spontaneous energy. Inspired by classical compositions, I sometimes work them into abstractions in theme and variation, freeing them from representation so that color and form can also display their own spirit and express feelings of the soul.
