About

Deborah Tomlin, a Maryland native, is drawn to domestic life in her drawings and paintings. Common themes in her work include aging, loss, femininity, identity, independence/dependence. Tomlin is the primary caregiver for her elderly parents who often appear in her paintings.

In 2022 Tomlin was diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatment led her to incorporate text, often from her journal entries. Dress patterns, yarn and embroidery thread, figure prominently, referencing mending and darning. Tomlin uses these materials to transform her visceral scars into something beautiful.