DEBORAH STRONG
cat & mouse designs

artist's bio

Deborah Strong was born and raised in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. She graduated from high school with a Fine Arts award, followed by a college diploma in Fine Arts and subsequently Computer Graphics. After spending many years employed full-time as a graphic designer, in 2009 she began devoting herself to fine art.

Since childhood, animals have 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 the hallmark of 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 to the delight and satisfaction of her clients.

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.

Deborah currently resides in Langley, British Columbia.

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exhibitions

Juried Exhibitions
• Arts 2010 - Surrey Art Gallery, 2010 (Honourable Mention: Wren and Salmonberry)
• artSpacific 2010 - Delta Arts Council (Honourable Mention: Stellar's Jay)
• Arts 2009 - Surrey Art Gallery, 2009 (Honourable Mention: By the Window)
• 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

Festivals
• Langley Artists' Studio Tour (organizer and participant) - Langley, BC, 2009, 2010
• Art in the Park - Maple Ridge, BC, 2007-10
• Arnold Mikelson Festival of the Arts - White Rock, BC, 1987-96, 2006-10
• Arts Alive - Langley, BC, 1993, 1994, 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 - 2008-2010
• "Artist's Best Friend" & "Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun", Canine Art Guild - 2007

Private Shows
• The Art of Deborah Strong & Julie Bourne, Maple Ridge, BC - October 2010
• Artist's Open House, Langley, BC - August 2005, September 2006-08

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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

Miles and Miles of Art, October 2009

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

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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
 

Canine Art Guild

www.canineartguild.com

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education

University of the Fraser Valley
Fine Arts diploma - 1981
 

Douglas College
Computer Graphics certificate - 1989

Professional Workshops & Seminars

• Advanced silk painting, Maiwa Silk Symposium - 2008
• Master artists workshop with Robert Bateman - 2010

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donations

• BC Guide Dogs - 2010
• 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