Deborah Lanino

Artist Statement

Deborah Lanino, born and raised in New York, began her career illustrating book jackets, magazine covers and several picture books, her first being the Christmas classic, The Littlest Angel, written by Charles Tazewell. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute and a Master’s Degree from Argosy University, she also studied art abroad at SACI in Florence, Italy. Deborah has taught college art for over 10 years at the Art Institute and exhibited her work in numerous galleries and museums nationwide, including bG Gallery, Sturt Haaga Gallery, Range Projects Gallery, The Makery, The Beverly Hills Art Show, and The Huntington Art Museum. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Bay Times, San Francisco Arts, UK House & Garden, The Catholic Herald and Wine Spectator. Currently, Deborah resides in Los Angeles, where she maintains her art studio.

Artist Statement

I remember drawing as soon as I could hold a crayon and was fortunate that my family encouraged my love of the arts. My first sentence was “I See.” When I was a college junior at Pratt, studying abroad in Florence, Italy, I traveled north on a train, and saw the churches, museums and an exhibition in Vercelli, commemorating 400 years since the death of Renaissance painter Bernardino Lanino (1512-1583). I learned about the prolific Lanino Workshop near Milan and of my ancestral connections to this great artist. In my work, I use Renaissance techniques such as chiaroscuro (lights and darks), sfumato (blurring edges) pentimento (painting over), thin transparent layers of glazes and thick impasto. The natural beauty of the west coast influences my palette. I give thanks to God. The goal of my work is to uplift and bring positivity to the viewer.