DEBORAH STRONG
cat & mouse designs

artist's bio

Deborah Strong was born and raised in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. She graduated from high school with a Fine Arts award, followed by a college diploma in Fine Arts and subsequently Computer Graphics. After working as a graphic designer for many years, Deborah found herself frustrated by her lack of time and energy for her true passion: creating art. In 2001 she changed her lifestyle so she could devote more time to focusing on art—a decision that proved well founded because it reunited her with her true vocation as an artist—then in 2009 she took the final step and began devoting herself full-time to her art.

Since her childhood, animals played a key role in Deborah's life, from the ponies, cats and barnyard creatures at the family hobby-farm to the more exotic residents of the local zoo. The personal connection she makes with members of the animal world is reflected in her art. She completed her first pet portrait commissions as a teenager, working first in pastel then later moving into coloured pencil. In her 20s, she discovered silk painting and was engaged by the vivid colours and vibrant quality of that medium. Deborah now works primarily in both coloured pencil and hand-painted silk, but also enjoys exploring other media. Her silk paintings are often described as whimsical while her coloured pencil work demonstrates her proficiency with detail and realism. Deborah’s art has been featured in local group exhibitions, displayed in private galleries, highlighted in magazines, and showcased at art festivals. Additionally, she has completed many privately commissioned portraits of horses, dogs and cats.

Hand-in-hand with Deborah’s love of animals is her enjoyment of the outdoors, ranging from BC’s rugged coastline, to rambling woodland walks, to the serenity of simply pottering in her garden. She has spent untold hours exploring local trails and roads on horseback and on foot with her dog, and her love of adventure has taken her hiking on Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail, long-distance trekking in the United Kingdom, exploring the swamps and forests of Trinidad and Tobago, and sailing in the Grenadines. The creatures she meets along the way form much of the inspiration for her art, as does her current collection of animal companions.

For more information about Deborah's work, please contact her by e-mail.

exhibitions

Private Shows
• Artist's Open House, Langley, BC - August 2005, September 2006-08, August 2009

Festivals
• Langley Artists' Studio Tour - 2009
• Art in the Park, Maple Ridge, BC - 2007-09
• Arnold Mikelson Festival of the Arts, White Rock, BC - 1987-96, 2006-09
• Arts Alive, Langley, BC - 1993, 1994, 2006-09
• Surrey Arts Council: Blueberry Festival Art Walk - 2007

Group Exhibitions
• Fort Langley Artist's Group, Flagstop Gallery, Fort Langley - 2008 & 2009
• "Artist's Best Friend" & "Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun", Canine Art Guild - 2007

Juried Exhibitions
• Arts 2009 - Surrey Art Gallery, 2009 (Honourable Mention)
• One for One: A License to Buy Art - Maple Ridge Art Gallery, 2008
• Abbotsford Here and Now - Kariton Gallery, Abbotsford, BC, 2008
• 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

Donations
• Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue - 2008
• Beagle Paws Rescue - 2008
• Langley Animal Protection Society - 2008, 2009
• 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