The Canadian wilderness, soft and dream-like, in watercolour.

Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Debby discovered watercolour while studying Interior Design at the University of Manitoba. After graduating, she lived in Montreal and the surrounding Quebec countryside, where she began sketching and painting the landscapes around her — a welcome contrast to the structured, technical world of design.

Later moves to Vancouver and across Canada deepened her connection to the wilderness, especially to trees. Over time, trees became the heart of her work: quiet witnesses to time and weather, holding shelter, memory, and place. She is drawn to their strength and stillness, and to the way they shape the landscapes around them while often going unnoticed.

Working in watercolour allows Debby to balance control with surprise. She embraces the medium's unpredictability — the blooms, washes, soft edges, and unexpected marks — to create romantic, dream-like interpretations of forests, shorelines, and lone standing trees. Her paintings are less about exact representation than atmosphere: the feeling of standing within the Canadian landscape.

Now back in Winnipeg, Debby paints from her home studio, drawing from sketches, memories, and decades of travel through Canada's natural spaces. Trees give us so much — clean air, shelter, steadiness — often asking nothing in return. Through her work, she hopes to share not only their beauty, but a deeper appreciation for their understated generosity.

"I love the challenge of watercolours. You take control of it; it takes control of you… expecting the unexpected. It is an escape from the technical world of design, yet still maintains the challenge and creativity."

Originals and a small number of giclée prints are available by inquiry.

Based in

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Medium

Transparent watercolour

Trained at

University of Manitoba