Deborah Nagano

I am a mixed-media artist working with acrylic and oil paints, charcoal, pastels, and collage.

My work is typically representational and spans a wide variety of subjects, including landscapes, portraiture, and eclectic humorous subjects.  Early on, I primarily created portraits because I was drawn to the idea of capturing someone's essence.  I quickly expanded to landscape painting - since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2020, I'm never short of inspiration - and immediately loved the freedom the process allowed.

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I begin an artwork by referencing a photograph I've taken.  Typically, my intuitive process quickly takes over, and the composition branches off from the source material.  I value the process as much as the final result; I've painted compositions from the same photograph ten times using different mediums, and I love that each work has its own character.  When viewing my natural landscapes, I hope people find a sense of tranquility and appreciation for the place depicted.

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Another pillar of my practice is humor.  I enjoy creating light-hearted works that simply make people smile or laugh.  For example, I might paint dancing sheep or renegade bees robbing a honey pot.  Through my work - whether a portrait, landscape or funny composition - I hope to create small moments of beauty and humor in the world.

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