A Thought on Intention. by Debbie Slowey Raguso

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To put into words my processes and reason for images.

Thought provoking and imaginative imagery are fashioned into paintings containing a mathematical equation, the secret God gene based on Fibonacci numbers. 

I aim to trigger a spark of connection of the true nature of life, into the viewer, by visual means. The key is in the geometry of the composition as painting developed with the Fibonacci sequence geometrically, conceives on order.  Both the laws of chance and the powers in the Law of Attraction are incorporated into painting processes. A strong mathematical plan of action, keeps things focused and precise. This keeps things relating to my personal inspiration and curiosity. 

New subjects come about through my interest in humanistic convictions of faith; be it religious of mine, Catholicism ; lucid dreams; mythological beliefs from ages and cultures past; or scientific discoveries, contemporary and significant.

Missed by a Hurricane. by Debbie Slowey Raguso

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So glad that I am on the West Coast of Florida that did not get hit by Dorian. The work of preparing and cleaning up, as well as the real fear of a mortality faced with the terrible idea that not only loss of life but loss of the artwork that I have spent my life hoping to share, is on my mind. These storms have put a renewed effort on getting the art out . I would love to show at this cool show that is on yachts in Fort Lauderdale. I have a few East Coast collectors i hope to invite. I like Florida and have met many really wonderful and kind people that have lived here their whole life, but leaving for June thu Oct for the North is a new dream.

Facebook live or Instagram TV by Debbie Slowey Raguso

I would rather make a edited video then do IGTV or Facebook live. I have been thinking more about why my work has not been presented to the world more. When I left NYC I did so with the belief that the internet and technology were going to make it possible to present my art for sharing and for sales… it is not an oasis here but I am finding my way.

Please take a look at my video about the why and the how this painting was made.

Vacations are Lovely.... fires me up!! by Debbie Slowey Raguso

On vacation, I completed the painting "St Joan of Arc." I took several photos as it progressed to make a video, that I will post when complete. In honor of Video and my efforts today, here is one of an older video of "Fire." The link is part one of two pieces of that video.

pastel painting fire. 2x speed but still too slow.... call me Slowey

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Last break from the painting by Debbie Slowey Raguso

As the CHF article says, I balance production versus promotion, and this morning I plan to get back in front of St Joan painting and later do some blog posting. Seth Godin, a respected marketing person, blogs once a day. I have read a bit of Seth and bought some of his books on tape for my vacation travel times. I just found out he went to the same high school as me in the class below me. I remembered I liked him, so I tried to friend him on social media. What a dream that would be to have direction in the world of blogging marketing to have a star like him help me. 

Besides learning to blog, I am working on an "Artist statement," which seems to be always developing- ……I blend modernist and traditional art painting techniques into stories with animal and/or animals with people in a symbolic, imaginary world. The artworks' subjects are from current events of interest, science, and math happenings in the world. Though a meditative process on particular iconography, the spiritual is also present.

I thought of an elevator speech this morning... by Debbie Slowey Raguso

I blend modernist and traditional art techniques onto stories with animal and people subjects drawn from current events, science, math or the spiritual.

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I heard that OJ is vloging.

This is a painting done in 1991 during the OJ Simpson trial. I was his children Jason and Arnell’s babysitter in Buffalo. I was very impressed as any teenager would be at the celebrity surrounding him. I liked him and his family and friends very much. This was done in an “Icon” way with hope that the butterflies could find their way out the narrow window.

Interview by Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists by Debbie Slowey Raguso

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https://clarkhulingsfund.org/balancing-the-demands-of-being-a-working-artist-deb-slowey/

CHF A am tickeled pink that the Clark Hulings Fund interviewed me for their website. They promote Artists by teaching them to be a sustainable business. I am trying my best to adapt all the principles that I learned at their seminar, online posts and podcasts. Sofia Perez, the author, was so nice to work with, she made me comfortable and not so nervous. I hope you get the chance to read it.


…..Below is is the article but the link to the website has images and is on the Clark Hulings Fund website which I invite you to look around and learn/enjoy as I have….

JUNE 13, 2019 BY SOFIA PEREZ LEAVE A COMMENT

Balancing the Demands of Being a Working Artist—Deb Slowey

Deb Slowey has been an artist for four decades, and her body of work includes paintings, prints, and installation pieces. Her pieces have been featured in solo and group shows throughout the US, as well as in Brazil and China. A native of Syracuse, New York, she currently lives and works on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where she also serves as the president of the state chapter of the Women’s Caucus for Art.

The CHF team first met Deb at our Ft. Lauderdale Art-Business Conference this past February, and since then she has been one of the most active members of our virtual Thriving Art Exchange community. In this interview with CHF Editorial Director Sofia Perez, Deb discusses some of the challenges of being an artist-entrepreneur.

How would you describe your local arts community?

When I relocated to Florida after 20 years in New York City, I knew I still needed to be near people, but I also wanted a big studio, so I moved to the beach. There are three cities nearby—Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Pete. And they each have their artist enclaves. They are trying to come together as Tampa Bay, but they’re individual places.

I made a circle in Google Maps to find a location between the three cities. This neighborhood was right by a state park, which is great because I love nature. All the houses here are set on a couple of acres, so I am able to have my big studio, and I can also get to St. Pete, Sarasota, or Tampa in about 20 minutes.

There’s a lot going on in Saint Pete. We’re doing some projects there with the Women’s Caucus for Art, and the city is very supportive. So are Tampa and Sarasota, but St. Pete is more of a tourist destination. They have the Salvador Dalí Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and Dale Chihuly’s collection of glass art. They are a lot of glass artists around here.

In addition to creating your art, you are also a registered nurse. How do you balance that with your studio work and the time you need to develop your art business?

When I lived in New York City, I was doing odd jobs for artists and making enough money to live on, but when I moved out, I needed a different job—one that would give me enough money without having to work too many days. So I got my nursing degree, and have been able to work as a travel nurse, setting my own hours.

My nursing work has always been PRN [short-term, contract, or fill-in work], and I won’t do more than a certain number of hours per week, 16 or sometimes 20 hours. I work one day, and then I’m off one day, then I work another day, and I’m off for several days. On the middle day, I handle the business side—working on my website, making connections with the other artists, doing studio visits. Stopping and starting can make it hard to keep the momentum going with my art, but you have to have some kind of a set schedule. Otherwise, it’s just chaos.

Handling the business side is really important to me, because I want to be able to stop nursing and save my energy just for the art. If I could do that, I’d be able to produce more. But I see art in everything. There’s art in nursing. There’s art in business. And business can be fun.

What’s been your biggest business challenge?

The balancing act is hard, and keeping up the momentum is hard, but one of the biggest struggles has been the fact that I’m a woman. I believe that I’ve been discriminated against. I don’t think that women have gotten their due in the art world. We are often ignored—that is a business struggle we face. It’s the challenge of getting your work out there, of being included, and I don’t think there’s been a balance in galleries.

Hopefully, it’s starting to change, though. I’m trying to do my part by working with the Women’s Caucus for Art. You can join the caucus as a national member, and then choose your local chapter. It used to be part of the College Art Association in the ’70s. Back then, a bunch of women were challenging the fact that men were taking up more of the space, so they formed their own group.

The focus is to promote women artists, to come together and share resources, and also to benefit from the fellowship. You get a lot from that. They honor a few women every year and have conferences twice a year. Basically, it’s a support system for women artists. I’ve made some good connections through the group.

You’ve also become a very active member of our virtual community, the Thriving Art Exchange. How did you first get involved with CHF?

Hercules by Deb Slowey (To see Deb’s time-lapse video on the making of this piece, click on the image)

I found CHF online, though I don’t remember how. Your website is really good, and you’ve got great podcasts. I’ve learned a lot. I went to your Art-Business Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, and it was wonderful. It was great to meet serious artists. And thanks to the Internet, you can keep up with people afterward. I don’t want to be in just one group, like the Women’s Caucus. I want to be in many groups.

In fact, I am planning to go back down to Ft. Lauderdale and do a show with some people I met when I was there for your conference—it’ll be a pop-up art show on boats. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

What did you find valuable about our conference? And feel free to comment on what we could’ve done better, too.

The people that gave the presentations were really intelligent leaders. They hit the nail on the head, and I learned so much. My only criticism is that it was too short. If it had been a weeklong event, each class could’ve lasted longer. Each individual section could’ve been an entire class. We covered a lot. It was like doing a college course in two days.

You use a variety of technological tools in your business—social media, a blog, an online shopping cart to sell your work directly.

I don’t know why people think technology is a dirty word. We should embrace it. It’s the age of communication. At the turn of the century, artists could gather in cities, in cafés, and be in groups, but now we have the world. I just sent some work off to China, to a print show. I connected with the organizers through the Internet.

You also created a video that shows all the various layers that go into of one of your paintings. What made you think of doing that?

Everyone’s always saying to me, “Well, how long did that piece take?” That’s one of the first questions I get. So I figured I’d show them the process. I used time-lapse video to demonstrate how it comes together. As a nurse, I do a lot of teaching, and sharing my artistic process is another form of teaching.

When you deploy all of these tools, what are you hoping to achieve?

Promotion. An artist needs to have a website, and you can’t just have a website of your pictures. That’s why I have a blog. If I have all my ducks in a row, it’ll be a stronger presentation for someone who wants to buy something. It’s a way of connecting with the people who buy my paintings.

They’re getting to know the story behind your work.

Right, and that’s exactly what I’m working on right now; I’m trying to shape my brand story. The whole process has helped me to understand how my voice might come across to somebody else. I always think that the last painting I do is the best painting. I look at it before it’s finished and think, “That’s my brand. It’s all there.” But working on brand story has helped me learn my place in the world—in my world.

A lot of businesses fail because they just keep working on product development and never do any distribution or marketing.

A lot of businesses fail because they just keep working on product development and never do any distribution or marketing. They’re making the greatest product in the world, but if it never gets seen or gets to market, it would be very sad. Also, I don’t have children or anyone to give my paintings to, so if I don’t get my work out there, it’ll be lost.

What do you hope your art communicates to your audience?

I hope it gives them peace and transmits the idea that there’s something more, some kind of connectivity that we all have. I want them to enjoy the painting as a thing, like a good meal. Good paintings drag you in, and hold you for a while, and then they change as time goes on. I try to give the audience an experience.

How have you evolved as an artist and as an entrepreneur?

It’s been a long career so far. I’ve learned to trust my artistic voice, and know that it is good and worthy.

In terms of the business part, I came of age as an artist in the early ’90s, and the gallery system was so scary. I was petrified back then. Now, I realize that it is a business. There are rules to this business, and there are ways of doing business. Rejection shouldn’t be taken the way I used to take it. I have grown in my understanding of that process.

To receive powerful entrepreneurial training and connect with artists like Deb, attend an upcoming CHF Art-Business Conference. Visit our Conference hub for more information.

About Sofia Perez

A journalist and writer/editor with more than 25 years of experience, Sofia Perez has written for nearly every type of media and genre--from print and web publications, to TV, nonprofit advocacy, and fiction--and understands firsthand how important it is for creative professionals to learn basic business skills if they are to support their artistic endeavors.

"Hercules" Banded/ removed from Facebook for animal bestiality. by Debbie Slowey Raguso

Not my intention at all.

In these times of conflicting ideas and Ideals, we must remember the consequences of entering into a fight. Isn't it best to struggle and try to get along instead of coming into conflict? Conflict, as this image suggests, leads to someone being victorious and the other defeated. It is a shame that someone must be a winner and someone beat. We look to art to speak, and I hope this image can remind us to have more care with each other, avoiding conflict. I used a wrong imagined blue color for the Lion. A tone of blue usually softens, but it makes me think of the clay figure in a blue ceramic Hippo from Ancient Egypt. Hippos are an unpredictable beast that does not like humans and are a danger. This color, complementary to orange, maybe why the figure's skin complexion is not European, but more warmly toned.

The Lion's almost cartoon eyes pop out in yellow, a psychological color, in disbelief and regret.

“Hercules… The Thing that Eats the Heart is Mostly Heart” Oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 24” x 24”.

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Artsy Shark Showcase by Debbie Slowey Raguso

Like most artists, I have to share my time between creating and promoting. I spent a good number of hours today on promotional activity, and the 1st day of spring pulled me back into the studio for creation. I am lucky to have an out of doors studio set up behind my studio. It is just a screen tent, but it has room for an easel that takes medium-size canvases. Morning tasks completed, it was a joy to paint there all afternoon. The latest round of promotional activities included- finishing up three things. Art placement in a friend's restaurant, mailing out materials for Artsy Shark Showcase publication, and photographing paintings for my new software to create (room with a view) for KYO gallery.

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Women's Caucus for Art by Debbie Slowey Raguso

I can’t believe I haven’t posted about this yet ! I have been involved with this group for many good reasons. It is about time to join artists in voice and speak the words “we have not been included” ; and the time is right.

I went as the president of the WCA State of Florida, to NYC, to the National annual meeting where there were many interesting artists and art professionals in an atmosphere of great education and sharing. One interesting area I am volunteering for is helping the young women artists group (pic here). I see that communication is the seed for change and am doing things to grow virtual online meetings of artists. ( I have contacted them to get the names) but here is their fb page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenscaucushumboldt/

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Clark Hulings Fund for Artists by Debbie Slowey Raguso

I found this on the website of CHF, they gave a lot of great art business advice to this wonderful group of artists…..business for artists. I must do! Google about them. I highly recommend.

Yes ! a very inspiring weekend. There I am, not being afraid to put myself front and center again!!!

Yes ! a very inspiring weekend. There I am, not being afraid to put myself front and center again!!!

A Sign of Something Somewhere Else by Debbie Slowey Raguso

"A Sign of Something Somewhere Else" is the title of my latest painting. The objects used to place in the living composition are the Octopus, Dolphins, and the star cluster Orion's Belt. The winter night sky inspired me and how on one clear night, I saw the most massive object visible in the universe, besides a planet called the Orion's Belt. It got me to thinking about space travel. Voyager 1, a probe launched in 1977, is still carrying it's gold plated disc recording with images, out to space forever. Will this time capsule ever come across intelligent life? I wonder…

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Art Basel Miami by Debbie Slowey Raguso

I have seen this fun couple every year at the fair. Got my picture with them this time, as they spoke with a dealer. I have spoke to them. They are collectors, eccentric and actually very nice.

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Exqusite Corpse Game St Pete by Debbie Slowey Raguso

Amy Ernst and Deb Slowey

Amy Ernst and Deb Slowey

For the second year I was invited to show and with a new group of artists called the Exquisite Corpse Game. It is a traveling show with a great curator whose goal is exposure in museums and alternative spaces.

Here are some photos from the 1st unveiling.

Exquisite corpse is a very old game. Some say it is ancient but the game we know was started by the surrealists, briefly one person draws the head one the body and one the feet. They are not allowed to see the other parts until each has finished their part.  

Several exciting artist relationships happened during the game and all had a light spirit of fun and encouragement to one another. My old  time friend from my printmaking days at Bob Blackburn’s, Amy Ernst’s was excited to play. She re-lived moments from playing the game with her grandfather, Max Ernst. Max Ernst was a great artist and one of the original surrealists that played this game and made the game popular. I had a lot of fun with Amy and the other game artists!

Slideshow Slideshow Slideshow Slideshow Slideshow.. tap tap tap tap tap… to see …….Slideshow Slideshow Slideshow Slideshow Slideshow

I love Emily Dickinson... by Debbie Slowey Raguso

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Here is a drawing of Me! done by the great artist Will Barnet. Will deeply loved and was deeply loved. His talent went out to the spirit of Emily Dickinson as he illustrated “ A world in a frame” his favorite poems she wrote. Both of New England, I learned to cherish the quiet beauty of a softened heart.

A narrow Fellow in the Grass (1096)

BY EMILY DICKINSON

A narrow Fellow in the Grass

Occasionally rides -

You may have met him? Did you not

His notice instant is -


The Grass divides as with a Comb,

A spotted Shaft is seen,

And then it closes at your Feet

And opens further on -


He likes a Boggy Acre -  

A Floor too cool for Corn -

But when a Boy and Barefoot

I more than once at Noon


Have passed I thought a Whip Lash

Unbraiding in the Sun

When stooping to secure it

It wrinkled And was gone -


Several of Nature’s People

I know, and they know me

I feel for them a transport

Of Cordiality


But never met this Fellow

Attended or alone

Without a tighter Breathing

And Zero at the Bone.