A monograph on Debra's painting style
An American Vuillard of the 21st century, the work of my friend Debra Nicholas celebrates the joys of family and domestic life filtered through a modern sensibility. Relating to each other in light-filled settings, her subjects are depicted in stage sets that reveal the taste and history of these "actors." Their environments may be seen as habitats in which the sitters are part of the larger whole, to which they are intimately tied and of which they are an integral part rather than separate entities. These affectionate depictions are not sentimental, however, because of the rigor with which they are painted.
The work is executed in gouache on a dark tinted ground. This technique results in a jewel-like brightness that recalls the tradition of Persian miniatures, as does the multi-layered and painstaking depiction of every object in these tasteful spaces. However, Ms. Nicholas' early training as an abstract painter is evident in her freedom of brushwork in the background areas, her cool modelling of forms and the almost sculptural quality of the many layers of paint applied to the surface. She has described the process of creating these portrait environments as one in which she is "carving" out forms from delicate layers of gouache.
A unique element of her style is the ability to construct, out of seemingly competing patterns, a visually unified setting. Her early career creating fabric designs for Dior, Lagerfeld and many other fashion houses is evident in her success at integrating these complex patterns into a cohesive pictorial space. Yet, within this space, the sitters and their environments are very accurately rendered.
Her process includes working from multiple photographs, many small sketches of interior details, and larger sketches that draw together the different pictorial elements. This ensures accuracy, important in carefully documenting the sense and beauty of these environments, without sacrificing her unique sensibility. The cool, flat Hockney-like brightness of the paint and quirky spotlighting of beloved everyday objects injects a hip and subtle wit into Debra's painting. With its rigorous structure and beautiful brushwork, the result is work that celebrates the decorative while moving far beyond it.
Carol Christensen
Painting Conservator