Bio
Artist Statement
I approach the canvas like I do life for the most part, with an osmotic process. I begin by thrashing bright and bold colors onto the canvas and then let the main subject cull naturally through the abstract textures. In my latest ornithology series, I marry abstract and realism onto the canvas. This method satisfies my need to first create the background quickly with raw emotion and then approach the main subject with a detailed, meditative patience. In essence, I start with chaos and end with calm.
Debbee Lotito is an autodidact painter from Detroit, Michigan. Her creative practice focuses on fowl, figurative and floral expressionism.
Lotito’s consistently stunning work is characterised by highly textured pieces accentuated by chaotic strokes of colors with organic figuration and translucent, bleeding waves of color. She says, “I enjoy exploring the relationship between various color harmonies and surface textures.”
Lotito uses a variety of analogue tools to produce her work, including acrylic, watercolor, pencil and ink. Her favorite media are acrylics and watercolor because their fast-drying qualities allow her to work quickly and intuitively. Her works are whimsical, expressive and engage the viewer via a lucid reservoir of imagination.
She draws inspiration from a variety of artists, both established and emerging, “Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock would be some artists that I draw inspiration from but just the same, I look to ‘unknown’ artists and find inspiration with their energy as well.”
She earned her degree in graphic and web design from Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Michigan. Her work is widely exhibited throughout the USA and published internationally. Between 2010 and 2021 she hosted five solo exhibitions and participated in 45 group shows, with the majority occurring in Detroit, Michigan. She continues to maintain an active studio and welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with new clients.