Debra Krakow
BIO
Debra Krakow is an artist, artisan and architect. Born and raised in Montreal, she now works out of her Wolfe Island studio, looking out over farmers’ fields and the St. Lawrence Seaway. This rural environment with its seasonal changes is a strong influence in her work.
Debra developed her artistic practice through explorations in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, fibre arts and ceramics. She paints in layers, selectively revealing or obscuring the underpainting to create an evocative surface. Just as a landscape or weathered surface bears hints of its evolution, her painted surfaces reveal a complex history of underlying colour and texture.
She is represented by Koyman Galleries in Ottawa and is an active member of the Kingston Potters Guild and the Wolfe Island Gallery.
Artist Statement
White, in a painting, is visual breathing room, a counterpoint to colour and texture. Whiteness is fresh air, expansiveness, and quiet.
On a technical level, since titanium white is so opaque, it allows me to build a painting in layers, choosing which parts of the underpainting to obscure, and which to allow to peek through to the surface. A veil of white gives a sense of mystery, neither entirely concealing nor revealing white lies beneath.
