I
was born and grew up in Pennsylvania...moved to California in 1974 and
the two are about as different as they are far apart from one another.
I feel very blessed to have experienced both lifestyles. In fact, I
tend to bounce from one coast to the other every few years. Perhaps I
just can't make up my mind.When
I'm in Pa., I dream of the cool beach breezes of central
California, the scent of scrub oak as you drive along the Ventura
Highway, the sights and sounds of Los Angeles with all its charms and faults (pun
intended). When I last lived in California, I longed
for the crisp smell of autumn in the east, the horses and buggies (I'm
smack dab in the middle of Amish country), robin redbreasts on a fresh
spring lawn, the smell of new mown hay from the farmer's fields. It's
a helluva thing being torn by two worlds.
I
grew up thinking there was a dragon across the street that slept
inside the hillside. When it thundered during storms, I imagined it
was his snoring as he slept, perhaps tossing with troubled dreams
(you'd be worried too, if no one believed in you). On summer nights,
alive with the sparkle of lightning bugs, it seemed as if the
countryside was decorated with fairy lights and that I was the only
one who saw their true nature. I suppose this fantasy world has
followed me into adulthood, infusing my drawings (and life!) with a
whimsical side.
As
you might surmise from my current artwork, I have pets. Haven't
counted them all lately but I keep tripping over 4 or 5 of the wee
beasties. I'm one of
"those" people, I'm afraid. If I hear strangers in the
grocery store talking about how their cat had another batch of
kittens, I'm apt to launch verbose on the evils of not spaying &
neutering their pets. Yes, I do carry flyers about the evils of puppy mills in my
backpack and feel no qualms of shame in handing them out to all
and sundry so 'WARE!
I
have four children (2 each, in case you wondered) and thanks to my
eldest daughter, am also learning grandma skills at a very tender age.
Ahem.
I've
had an interesting life so far, and have always been very independent
(when your ex-husband isn't mechanically inclined, you learn how to do
things yourself) and I just LOVE to travel and see new places. I grew
up on a steady diet of books, especially Greek Mythology, so my next dream trip would be to Greece to see
Mt. Olympus where the gods live (unless they've moved to
Jersey).
I
have a background in art, graphics (worked as a stripper for
commercial printers back in the days before Quark Express software and
no, a stripper isn't as exotic a job as it sounds) and marketing. I've also had jobs like folding hot diapers in a laundry and working
as a video store manager (ok, I love old movies so it wasn't really
work). I've tried to teach my children that it doesn't matter what
work you do as long as it's honest...and if you really like it, so
much the better!
I
admit, I often add some element of my own beliefs and values into my
art when no one is watching. And you thought it was just silly stuff!
After all, if you can't use your life's work as a platform for reform,
what good is it?
If you're truly
bored, you can read my journal. No
one ever really reads a resume or bio anyway. I think you can get just
as much insight about someone from reading a blog or diary. It kinda
feels like you're snooping a little, making it a lot more fun!
Deborah's
Journal

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This is
the little Chimayo church in New Mexico that has a hole in the floor
so people seeking a miracle can take home a little bit of the holy dirt.
It is near Taos, New Mexico and we stopped by on our trip
through the area. It is beautiful and so is the countryside.

These are
my grand-children, Ryan and Katrina.
Don't they look sweet? You'd never guess they don't ALWAYS act this
nice! Ha! 
Big Mack
and Molly taking a snooze together.

The Intrepid Scots explore our acreage, despite the coyotes lurking...

My
BEAUTIFUL Daughter
Jessica 
Sons
Tyler and Nick

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