DEBORAH STRONG
one artist... one passion... two styles

one artist...
Deborah Strong has been an artist since she could first hold a pencil. With formal training in fine arts and in graphic communication, she worked as a professional graphic designer for many years before devoting herself full-time to fine art. Deborah views herself as a citizen of the world who values the diverse creatures that inhabit the planet and who advocates responsible stewardship of the Earth.

 

one passion...
The animal world is the focus of Deborah’s attention, both as an artist and as an individual. Her work ranges from portraits of companion animals to depictions of wild creatures in their natural habitats. Her own collection of four-legged friends often features in her art, and sightings of wild birds and animals—both in her home region and abroad—offer Deborah ongoing and often unexpected inspiration. Her art speaks from her heart and from her own experiences. There is a personal story and an emotional investment every piece of art she makes.

 

two styles...
Deborah works in two distinctly diverse art media: coloured pencil and hand-painted silk. The contrast between them is significant yet there is harmony in their diversity. Her coloured pencil work emphasizes fine detail, control and patience, while the essence of her silk paintings lies in simple forms and vibrant, flowing colour. However different these media may be, both involve strict attention to detail and a methodical approach to the application of the materials. For more than two decades Deborah has been exploring them, yet every day she finds fresh opportunities to investigate new forms, try new techniques, and test the technical boundaries of her materials, ensuring her work remains fresh and lively, and invested with a sense of wonder and discovery.

Deborah currently resides in Langley, British Columbia, Canada with her husband and their collection of animal companions. She works out of her home studio, Cat & Mouse Designs.

exhibitions

Juried Exhibitions & Awards

2011:
  • 70th Anniversary FCA Show, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC
  • Autumn Salon, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, BC
  • Autumn Show, FCA Fraser Valley, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC
  • Arts 2011, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC (First Place: Killdeer)
  • Hooves, Plows & Planting Fields, Langley Centennial Museum (Juror's Choice Award: A Bend in the Road)
  • This Earth of Ours, FCA Fraser Valley, Place des Arts, Coquitlam, BC
  • artSpacific, Firehall Arts Centre, Delta, BC (Award of Excellence: Waiting for Walk Time)
2010:
  • Arts 2010, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC (Honourable Mention: Wren and Salmonberry)
  • artSpacific, Firehall Arts Centre, Delta, BC (Honourable Mention: Stellar's Jay)
2009:
  • Arts 2009 - Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC (Honourable Mention: By the Window)
2008:
  • One for One: A License to Buy Art - Maple Ridge Art Gallery, Maple Ridge, BC
  • Abbotsford Here and Now - Kariton Gallery, Abbotsford, BC
Prior:
  • White Rock Painting & Sketch Club Annual Exhibition- 1985, 1987-89
  • BC Regional Arts Council Annual Exhibitions - 1983, 1985-86, 1989
  • Cats, Cats, Cats - Gallery in Queens Park, New Westminster, BC, 1989
  • Surrey Arts Centre - Surrey, BC, 1985
  • Fort Langley Museum & Exhibition Centre - Langley, BC, 1984

Festivals
• Langley Art Studio Tour (co-founder/organizer), Langley, BC, 2009-11
• Filberg Festival, Comox, BC, 2011
• Arts Alive, Langley, BC, 1993, 1994, 2006-11
• Art in the Park, Maple Ridge, BC, 2007-10
• Arnold Mikelson Festival of the Arts, White Rock, BC, 1987-96, 2006-10
• Surrey Arts Council Art Walk - Cloverdale, BC, 2007 (Honourable Mention: Hadrian's Lambs)

Group Exhibitions
• Fort Langley Artist's Group, Flagstop Gallery, Fort Langley, BC, 2008-2011
• "Artist's Best Friend" & "Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun", Canine Art Guild - 2007

Private Exhibitions
• "Across the River", New Creations Gallery, Maple Ridge, BC, October 2010
• Artist's Open House, Langley, BC, 2005-2008

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education

University of the Fraser Valley
Fine Arts diploma - 1981

Douglas College
Computer Graphics certificate - 1989
 

Recent Professional Workshops & Seminars

• Advanced silk painting, Maiwa Silk Symposium - 2008
• Master Artists Seminar with Robert Bateman - 2010

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publications

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

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

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memberships

Federation of Canadian Artists (Active member)
www.artists.ca

Fraser Valley Artists
www.fraservalleyartists.com
 

Fort Langley Artists Group
www.fortlangleyartistsgroup.com
 

Silk Painters International (SPIN)

www.silkpainters.org

Canine Art Guild

www.canineartguild.com

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art donations

• Langley Animal Protection Society - 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
• BC Guide Dogs - 2010
• Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue - 2008
• Beagle Paws Rescue - 2008
• Canadian Animal Rescue & Extended Shelter - 2007
• Critter Care Wildlife Society - 2007
• Senior Animals In Need Today Society - 2007
• Cocker Spaniel Rescue Association of BC - 2006
• Surrey SPCA - 2005-2009
• German Shepherd Rescue Association of BC - 2005
• Community Justice Initiatives - 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009
• White Rock Hospice Society - 1988