Weir’s Plaza Enlists Debra Ferrari for a two-painting commission

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The long-awaited Weir’s Plaza will open to the public this month with a commission by local artist Debra Ferrari. A mixed-use building at the corner of Knox and Travis streets, Weir’s Plaza will welcome visitors with Ferrari’s diptych just inside the front doors.

We caught up with the local artist here:

PATRON (P): Tell us about the paintings at Weir’s Plaza.

Debra Ferrari (DF): These large-scale canvases each measure 78 x 120 in. They are front and center, hanging on the entry-lobby walls. The Weir’s Plaza building is located in the heart of one of the most popular neighborhoods in Dallas. The building is just one door down from the new RH Dallas. Look for the tallest building on the corner of Travis and Knox streets.

P: And the titles of the paintings?

DF: Shem and Japheth. When I create two paintings that will live in the same space they must be relatives in some way. From the very start, I felt like the canvases were going to be brothers. I decided to research the names of brothers in the Bible. Many of them did not have great track records, and then I found Shem and Japheth. They were brothers who cared for and loved their father. They were honorable men who together impacted the world in a positive direction. 

P: What factors influence this series / genre?

DF: The paintings are part of my Adler Collection that I started in 2004. I continue to add new paintings to this series, which can be viewed at Ferrari Gallery in the Dallas Design District. My love for mid-century modern architecture and design influence the shapes and details that I incorporate with acrylics and metallics onto each canvas in this collection. All the paintings begin organically and grow through many layers of paint that I manipulate using gravity, brushes, and trowels. The depth I achieve by this process creates a unique story, each one different in its own way, drawing viewers into the paintings, conveying an organic modernism style. 

P: Where do you like to work? And what is your preferred time of day to paint, and why?

DF: I paint daily in my studio on Dragon Street. However, due to the size of these commissioned canvases, I decided to start the initial layers of acrylic paint working outdoors. I needed the space to get messy. I mixed up big buckets of paint and needed to use a water hose. After laying down the foundation of organic shapes and soft layers of gold and off-white, I then moved back into my air-conditioned studio to add details and finishing touches. I normally start painting late in the afternoon into the night. I like it when the world gets quiet and slows down. It allows me to create through a place of sensitive consciousness.

P: What type of elements do you incorporate in your creative process?

DF: These two paintings have different vantage points and organic elements. When you are close to the canvases you will see small shapes, squares, and hidden layers. I especially love how you see the subtle metallic shapes coming off the canvas as you move around the paintings.

P: When Weir’s Plaza commissioned these works, did they have specific guidelines or direction for the paintings? 

DF: They really gave me free rein, other than a small sample of a color palette and the desired canvas measurements. 

P: Which artists influence and inspire you?

DF: This is a really tough question because there are so many I love and admire. Some of my favorites are Charles Le Brun, whom I fell in love with when I visited the Louvre in my 30s; William Turner; Fredric Edwin Church, who painted The Icebergsat the Dallas Museum of Art; Kehinde Wiley; Njideka Akunyili Crosby; and today I came across the most amazing painting by Igor Melnikov.

P: What other corporate collections have placed your work?

Boston Consulting Group; The Travis at Katy Trail; Hotel Indigo; Pagosa Springs Medical Center; DalFort Capital; HealthPark Medical Center; Jack Schroeder & Associates; Space 39; Sun City; and Beau Rivage.

P: What was the last museum exhibition you attended? What did you like about it? 

DF: I recently visited both The Modern and the Kimbell art museums in Fort Worth on the same day. I loved Turner’s Modern World at the Kimbell. I have always been a huge fan of his work. My all-time favorite museum is The Modern. A few of my favorite works in their permanent collection are Deborah Butterfield’s bronze horse and Robert Irwin’s Untitled from 1968, an acrylic-lacquered convex disk. 

P: What’s on your playlist in the studio right now?

DF: I listen to Pandora throughout the day. A little bit of classic rock, Bach, Imagine Dragons, Meditation radio, etc… My Pandora changes with my moods. Right now, we are listening to Black Violin radio in the gallery—one of my new favorite stations.

P: When did your love for art begin? 

DF: My mother encouraged me to be creative. She was always organizing art projects. I won my first art award for an abstract painting I created on paper with my fingers when I was five years old. Unfortunately I have no idea what happened to it. 

I was always “that kid,” painting and drawing on everything. My ninth-grade teacher, Ron Bayuzick,  was very influential in my growth as a young artist in high school. I majored in graphic design at Kent State University and continued to experiment with mediums and styles. I have to tell you that it was when I returned to my five-year-old self and painted from an emotional level that I created my best works. This is the place I work from today.