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about the artist
Feathers or fur, hooves or paws, from my own four-legged companions to wild creatures I encounter, the animal world in all its wonder and variety fascinates me and fuels my creative passion. I have been making art since I could first hold a pencil, and my career as an artist has focussed on creating lifelike coloured pencil drawings and lively paintings on silk. I have lived my life in southwestern British Columbia. My art reflects personal experiences and encounters with all manner of creatures. Currently much of my work is devoted to birds — not just as a reflection of my surroundings but from a wish to honour these small wild creatures who enrich our environment and are often overlooked. Never without a four-legged companion, I share my life with a ball-crazy cocker spaniel (Lily) and a precocious ginger cat (Hugo). They find their way into my art, as did all the others who came before them. I accepted my first pet portrait commission as a teenager and continue welcome opportunities to create sensitively rendered, lifelike portraits of animal companions. I have a Fine Arts diploma from the University of the Fraser Valley, and senior signature status (SFCA) with the Federation of Canadian Artists. My commitment to community involvement is demonstrated by roles ranging from coordinating art tours, to organizing group exhibitions, to serving on boards of directors of community arts councils and other organizations. I also greatly enjoy serving as an exhibition juror when called upon. |
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art education
- University of the Fraser Valley, Fine Arts diploma - 1981
- Douglas College, Computer Graphics certificate - 1989
- The Creative Studio, Maiwa Textile Symposium - 2017
- Mixed Media with Dawn Emerson - 2014
- Colour Theory with Michele Whipplinger - 2012
- Master Artists Seminar with Robert Bateman - 2010
- Advanced silk painting, Maiwa Textile Symposium - 2008
publications
- Aqua magazine - "Honouring Her Passions", November/December 2020
- CP Treasures, Volume 6 - Published by Ann Kullberg, April 2019
- Beef in BC magazine - "Art Story: Deborah Strong", November/December 2015
- CP Treasures, Volume 2 - Published by Ann Kullberg, December 2013
- Artists of British Columbia, Volume 3 - Published by Leighdon Studio Gallery, December 2011
- BC Veterinarian magazine - Cover photo & editorial feature, Summer 2010
- Equestrian magazine (US Equestrian Federation) - "Commissioning an Original Piece of Art of Your Horse", May 2009
- The Langley Times - "Local artists take top spots in National Competition", July 2012; "Going Inside the Artist's Den", August 31, 2007
- The Langley Advance - "Feline Offers Painter Endless Inspiration", February 2008; "Strong At Art", September 7, 2007
- The Peace Arch News - "Critters on Canvas", September 2007
- Sidelines magazine - "Salute to Equestrian Artists", October 2005, 2009