https://debslowey.com/publications
Artist Biography-
Education
Born in Syracuse New York to Constance and James Slowey one of 4 children. She was the oldest girl and attended multiple grade schools related to father’s employment with the Railroad which also as a young person allowed her the ability to travel on trains freely throughout the USA. School-age experience of being chosen for a gifted program immersed Debbie into the world of art museums and cultural institutions. Everson museum particularly fascinated her with contemporary painting exhibitions.
Shy and studious Debbie finished High School with independent studies under the tutelage by artist Tom Bostelle in Lenapee PA. She spent two years atelier style among the artist intellectuals of Chester County. She was encouraged to make painting copies at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and also did so at the National Gallery of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her life drawing sessions were held with classical music playing and being explained and Bostelle required her to read the classics of literature. Her landscape painting season was Plein-air style and was full 8 hour days. Proficiency in charcoal drawing especially in portraiture, lead to commissions but Debbie was much more interested in modern art and developing her portfolio to enter the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She attended the Academy for the terminal degree at the time- four-year certificate.
Early Directions-
At the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Debbie eagerly absorbed the experimental nature happening at the time among colleagues at the academy. Her 2-year foundation with Bostelle provided an early step up to the intermediate ranking which granted private studio space at the Academy as well as a financial scholarship for merit. She was granted permission to present in the 3rd year in addition to the 4th year Academy thesis. Conflicted about competition, she did not enjoy student shows so was granted permission to attend with several other students weekly classes at the Barnes Foundation School of Art tutored directly the renowned scholar at the Barnes Violetta De Mazia.
After graduation, Debbie chose to live in Greenwich Village /Chelsea NYC. She was in the habit of train travel to museums so she took the abundance of museums NYC by storm. She “set up camp” in the Natural History Museum for studies for paintings that included animals at this time. The discipline at the Barnes Collection had taught her how to look deeper into painting than she ever had. Composition and color ideas continued to this day, as the foils of the direction of her thought processes that her paintings gravitate toward.
Emerging Artist
During her early professional years, Debbie had the best private post-baccalaureate education by having as mentor her new father-in-law Will Barnet. Will won the National Medal of Honor for not only his art but his contributions to Art Education. Will was aware of Debbie’s art because he had been one of her professors at the Academy. The experience of private tutorage in the two years with Bostelle allowed Debbie to be free to be influenced by Barnet with full knowledge she had her voice.
Life in an artistic family was extraordinary. Debbie exhibited all the time. She had a one-person show at the Chuck Levitan Gallery in Soho. Her brother-in-law Peter and Dick Barnet all showed together by invitation to St Mary's Maryland. The intellectual circles were exciting with Will’s introductions. A front seat to this world includes many fond memories of intellectual art circle personalities including The Vogels, Castelli, and the most famous NYC artists.
In the 90’s Will gave Debbie a scholarship to work and learn each printmaking technique at Bob Blackburn’s printmaking workshop. Artists from all over the world worked at Blackburn’s PMW. Bob and Will were very close and enjoyed the passing on of printmaking to younger generations of artists and Debbie has herself taught printmaking.
After the events of 911, Debbie left NYC to stay in her modest country studio in the Catskills. Living outside the city she realized it was no longer necessary to be only in NYC to make art. Unfortunately, she was unable to get day jobs working as Gallery and Artist Assistant(s) in the Catskills. She enrolled in a Nursing program and two years later took off to be an RN travel nurse. She moved to Florida to help her aging parents and stayed on. With a lower cost of living in FL, she has been able to only work 2 days a week and can create freely. She built a rather large unique studio in her home, a home studio always her practice.
Debbie’s previously mentioned distaste for competition continues today but she was given a last “assignment” by her mentor Will Barnet to go out and show and sell. The studio is bursting at the seams with the neglect of selling but now has invested in consultants, classes in Art Business and is showing and selling her paintings.
