18 photos
INSPIRATIONS
Travel is the largest source of inspiration for Debi, from her recent road trips in America to her backpacking ventures in Asia. Her fascination for rusting vintage vehicles began on a journey with her father, who flew over from Britain to experience and photograph some of America's outstanding national parks. Whilst Tonge senior was concentrating his skills on landscape photography, Debi was off sketching and writing notes on inspirational moments that could initiate new painting projects
"It's the classic opening scene to a western movie, envisage tumbleweed lifted by the breeze gently bounces across our path. The road ahead travels straight across flat dusty plains as far as the eye can see, and the sun peaks through an overcast sky, catching the tips of distant mountains, which shape the surrounding landscape. It is on these journeys that I will stumble across sleepy rusty truck towns... A few scattered homes, maybe a dusty saloon bar that is frequented by cowboy hats... I find myself submerged amongst icons of American culture."
Tonges rusting vintage vehicles are bathed often drenched in natural light. dramatic contrast of shadows and shafts of sun sculpt objects they fall across. Beams penetrate their way through back ground foliage and expand across fields and junk yards. The warn down metals reflect the warmth of the day and sunrays bounce off the multitude of colors found in rusting metals. Her oil paintings portray sweeping dramatic representations of Americas past still surviving today, objects of function yet possessions of pride that evoke stories of nostalgia.
“Deteriorating statues that have seen many a hard working day during the 30's to 50's era now stand proud to rest becoming slightly more fragile with age.
“Travel and cultural diversity fascinate me and I draw an incredible source of inspiration from my travel experiences. Submersing oneself in a seemingly alien culture is my research laboratory that gives me deep motivation. I am attracted to strong features or a warm smile or glance, perhaps across a crowded market place. I try to address and transform the notions of beauty, such as beauty displayed as in strength of character. I am constantly searching for ways to speak an element of the truth, and I believe it is important to incorporate each fragile and beautiful laughter wrinkle that frames smiling eyes.
I hope to evoke intrigue and wonder from my audience, by recreating the raw realness through my subjects glance or confronting stare. My attempts are to capture my character with a sense of immediacy to create a snapshot of daily life- a fleeting moment in time. My goal is to allow the audience to be creative with their perception of that person’s character."
"The every day illuminates my imagination with painting potentials … if only I could paint every face and every character that fascinates me – I’d have to live forever.”
This artist has another commendable talent that relates closely to her passions for painting. Reading some of her entertaining diary exerts helps to re-enforce her motives and embellish on incidents that have inspired her.
TECHNIQUE
The art reproductions in her portfolio are so life like that they are often mistaken for photographs. Standing in front of these incredible and meticulously rendered oils, one is drawn into the depth of realism they portray. Viewers instinctively move close to inspect all the intricate visible brushstrokes and textures that give her work depth beyond the
abilities of snapshots.
“It is important to pay attention to how light and darkness travel across objects molding them and providing the illusion of the third dimension. Balancing color and tone to captivate a still elegance of these weathered beauties."
"I don't like the grain of the canvas to dictate the direction of my textures, I prefer to create my own so that I feel I have control of every element put into a piece. I use gesso and dry brush oils to give a relief, then a succession of glazes to combine the tonal ranges, balancing colors so that they work in harmony with each other."
Her work is fascinating to view close up. Each painting is built up with many transparent glazes. She rubs oil pigments into her textured surfaces which give her art a three dimensional feel. The focal areas are painted with heavier opaque brushstrokes and her colors spanning across the whole canvas are kept vivid fresh.
"I am constantly experimenting with color combinations, and I love to study color theory. And in pursuit of achieving harmony I keep my color pallet bright though still staying within the boundaries of colors found in nature."
Travel is the largest source of inspiration for Debi, from her recent road trips in America to her backpacking ventures in Asia. Her fascination for rusting vintage vehicles began on a journey with her father, who flew over from Britain to experience and photograph some of America's outstanding national parks. Whilst Tonge senior was concentrating his skills on landscape photography, Debi was off sketching and writing notes on inspirational moments that could initiate new painting projects
"It's the classic opening scene to a western movie, envisage tumbleweed lifted by the breeze gently bounces across our path. The road ahead travels straight across flat dusty plains as far as the eye can see, and the sun peaks through an overcast sky, catching the tips of distant mountains, which shape the surrounding landscape. It is on these journeys that I will stumble across sleepy rusty truck towns... A few scattered homes, maybe a dusty saloon bar that is frequented by cowboy hats... I find myself submerged amongst icons of American culture."
Tonges rusting vintage vehicles are bathed often drenched in natural light. dramatic contrast of shadows and shafts of sun sculpt objects they fall across. Beams penetrate their way through back ground foliage and expand across fields and junk yards. The warn down metals reflect the warmth of the day and sunrays bounce off the multitude of colors found in rusting metals. Her oil paintings portray sweeping dramatic representations of Americas past still surviving today, objects of function yet possessions of pride that evoke stories of nostalgia.
“Deteriorating statues that have seen many a hard working day during the 30's to 50's era now stand proud to rest becoming slightly more fragile with age.
“Travel and cultural diversity fascinate me and I draw an incredible source of inspiration from my travel experiences. Submersing oneself in a seemingly alien culture is my research laboratory that gives me deep motivation. I am attracted to strong features or a warm smile or glance, perhaps across a crowded market place. I try to address and transform the notions of beauty, such as beauty displayed as in strength of character. I am constantly searching for ways to speak an element of the truth, and I believe it is important to incorporate each fragile and beautiful laughter wrinkle that frames smiling eyes.
I hope to evoke intrigue and wonder from my audience, by recreating the raw realness through my subjects glance or confronting stare. My attempts are to capture my character with a sense of immediacy to create a snapshot of daily life- a fleeting moment in time. My goal is to allow the audience to be creative with their perception of that person’s character."
"The every day illuminates my imagination with painting potentials … if only I could paint every face and every character that fascinates me – I’d have to live forever.”
This artist has another commendable talent that relates closely to her passions for painting. Reading some of her entertaining diary exerts helps to re-enforce her motives and embellish on incidents that have inspired her.
TECHNIQUE
The art reproductions in her portfolio are so life like that they are often mistaken for photographs. Standing in front of these incredible and meticulously rendered oils, one is drawn into the depth of realism they portray. Viewers instinctively move close to inspect all the intricate visible brushstrokes and textures that give her work depth beyond the
abilities of snapshots.
“It is important to pay attention to how light and darkness travel across objects molding them and providing the illusion of the third dimension. Balancing color and tone to captivate a still elegance of these weathered beauties."
"I don't like the grain of the canvas to dictate the direction of my textures, I prefer to create my own so that I feel I have control of every element put into a piece. I use gesso and dry brush oils to give a relief, then a succession of glazes to combine the tonal ranges, balancing colors so that they work in harmony with each other."
Her work is fascinating to view close up. Each painting is built up with many transparent glazes. She rubs oil pigments into her textured surfaces which give her art a three dimensional feel. The focal areas are painted with heavier opaque brushstrokes and her colors spanning across the whole canvas are kept vivid fresh.
"I am constantly experimenting with color combinations, and I love to study color theory. And in pursuit of achieving harmony I keep my color pallet bright though still staying within the boundaries of colors found in nature."
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