Deanna Fainelli

What's it All About?

I create mixed media art with a distinctive urban style that is more than visual wall art – it’s about a lifestyle. It represents a free-spirited attitude, creativity, living life on your own terms and quality over quantity. It’s about being mindful of the world around you, looking up and enjoying every day experiences.

It's the social and communal aspects of city living that make it so fascinating. City life can be hectic, loud, dirty and expensive yet we endure those things, even embrace them, to be a part of that constantly evolving urban tapestry. Isn’t that so cool? That’s why I love making art that embodies urban culture and that's also why I love sharing it.

To create my mixed media work I combine materials like original manipulated photos of people, architecture and signs with acrylic paint and paper (and whatever other materials I find) to tie in visual elements that inspire me–like layers of peeling paint, rust, and graffiti–adding details that help tell our urban stories.

A few words about me

I took the long scenic route to becoming a full-time artist. I tried many careers over the years, but when you are driven to create, well, that drive takes over.

Fortunately, I never shied away from trying new things, which included, scenic painting, designer and photojournalism. And, in the end, all of those experiences contributed to the artist I am today.

After working as a staff photojournalist for a daily newspaper, I decided to find a way to use my photos in a more hands-on, creative way. I began experimenting with printing techniques and read about Robert Rauschenberg's use of image transfer. After a lot of trial and error...emphasis on error...working with different sizes, materials, and substrates, I finally came up with a process that allowed me to be more expressive and combine photography, painting and design. At times I ditch the photos and work only with paint and other materials. The best part–my work is constantly evolving and it allows me to connect to the urban world I find so fascinating.




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