
An artist at heart, Debbie has been drawing, painting, and creating since she could hold a pencil or brush. After 20 years of self-study, workshops and intensive art programs, Debbie recently became a GOLDEN Artist Educator and completed a graduate diploma in Independent Studio Practices at the Haliburton School of the Arts.
With extensive work in watercolour, Debbie has diversified into acrylic, encaustic and mixed media artwork in realism, abstract and non-objective styles, exploring the use of colour and texture. Her subject matter is diverse as the need to be constantly creating is what drives the artist to explore different painting challenges.
Debbie and her family have lived abroad and traveled extensively for many years and her paintings reflect delight in the endless variety of beautiful subject matter that each new experience affords. Finding home has become a theme that is reflected through each work of art as Debbie embraces each new physical location and culture. Every painting contains a history, a story, an emotion and an expression of time and place.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Having lived the majority of my life away from my family and birth place “Home” has been an elusive word for me. My artistic journey has been a deeply spiritual process that has led me from observation, adjustment, acceptance, contentment and acculturation to time and place which is reflected through the choice of my subject matter and painting processes.
The use of texture with many layers is an important element in my paintings, mimicking life’s experience of building on things of the past to discover a new and exciting future. What is laid down in the first layers of paint may be obscured but become the foundation of each successive layer. I don’t always know where I am going when I start out painting but nothing is ever wasted while arriving at that contented moment of completion.
My current paintings focus on exploring new textures, through the use of mixed media by incorporating real stone and birch bark as in my ‘Birch Bark Series”.
Birch bark trees have become a symbol of my beloved Canadian homeland and have been my focus for the past 5 years. I have been exploring colour, texture, form and design through my non-objective “Happy Series” and my newest works "Rock Your World" which inspired by a trip to the marble factory.
I have been delighted by the outcome expressed through the joyful contentment I have found in my Canadian home. That makes me happy and rocks my world.
EXHIBITIONS & SHOWS
Solo
L'ère d'hier, Agapé Gallery, Paris, France 2023 (Duo)
Finding Home, Kuwait, 2015
West Elm, Featured Artist, Kuwait, 2014
Kingston Studio Tour, Canada, 2009
Gallery Hidyatt, Indonesia, 2007
Iluminating Nature, Gallery Hidyatt, Indonesia, 2005
Iluminating Nature, Bandung, Indonesia, 2003
Group
L'event et le Present, Agapé Gallery, Paris, France 2022
Bon Echo Art Exhibition & Sale 2016-2018
Kawartha Arts Festival, 2017, 2018
Bon Echo Art Exhibtion & Sale, Ontario, 2017, 2018
Kingston Art in the ParkArt Among the Ruins, 2017
North Frontenac Backroads Tour 2016-2018
Cloyne Studio Tour, Cloyne, Ontario, 2016
Bushari Gallery, Kuwait, 2014
Dar Al Funoon, Kuwait, 2013
Tilal Gallery, Kuwait, 2013
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Quinn's of Tweed, Tweed, ON
Colin Edwards Memorial Art Gallery, Bon Echo Provincial Park, ON
City Pages Kuwait, Oct. 2015







