We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deb Dunn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Deb, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

In 2021 I participated in the “Leaves of Life” art fundraiser to honour frontline healthcare workers.
I was 1 of 50 artists chosen to hand paint a 4-foot aluminum leaf with the focus on the artists’ personal connection to the natural setting and community spirit of Burlington, Ontario.
Each leaf sold for $750.00 with 100% of the proceeds going to Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital. After the heavy strain from Covid’s impact on the health care system, money from each leaf sold was used to purchase equipment and fund new programs.
I painted my leaf, titled “Woodland Wanderer” paying homage to the park and labyrinth I walk often, and all the beautiful wildlife spotted there.

Deb, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As an intuitive artist, I love working with and exploring a variety of mediums. I was born in the South of England, emigrating to Canada as a child. Always creating and showing an interest in anything handmade, I learned to knit and embroider at the age of 11, designing and making hat and scarf sets and embellishing ordinary clothing with embroidery for myself and as gifts. I purchased my first camera as a teen and from that moment on, fell in love with photography.

A huge animal lover, I’ve always shared my home with a menagerie of animals. Inspired by their quirky anecdotes, I took pen to paper and wrote whimsical stories for my children when they were little complete with watercolour illustrations of our cat, birds, rabbits, dogs, hamsters and fish. Paying homage to my own childhood rabbit Cinders, named due to the fact that while all white, he had a small smudge on his nose that resembled Cinder dust, all my painted hares have a small trademark nose smudge. I like to think a bit of sentimentality is woven into all my creations no matter what medium I choose.

After discovering Folk Art, I began looking at everything as my canvas, including the walls of our home. At one time, upon the request of my children, I turned an entire room into “a day at the zoo” with murals complete with balloon vendor, candy floss machine, giraffe, monkeys and of course, my son Alex and daughter Kate.

After a serious car accident in 2002, painting became my refuge. Unable to do many of the activities I had once enjoyed due to chronic pain, I still had my paints and paper and over the years developed my own, unique style. I started each new painting by lightly writing down my thoughts in pencil before beginning to paint. I loved the idea that the words were forever intertwined. I often wondered if I was a painter who wrote or a writer who painted.
Instead of gardening, I painted my gardens, with big bright lush flowers, a “Women of the Woods” series replaced long woodland hikes. The seasons, folklore, water, trees, nature and our interconnectedness to it all has always strongly influenced my work. For me, art is noticing the details of our life which is our greatest creation. We design our life’s canvas with what we love and how we see the world around us. I want my life canvas to absorb and be filled with as much colour and beauty as it can hold!
One day, reading through an art magazine asking for art submissions and looking at all the art I had painted over the years, I decided to submit a piece. To my happy surprise, it was published. Since then, I have had my paintings, photography, illustrations, fibre arts and stories published in over 60 publications. I have been the Cover Artist for The Country Register Newspaper of Ontario and Michigan, the Premiere Issue of The Coloring Studio Magazine and C.D. cover artist for the musical duo Sweetbird.
I frequently participate in group exhibits, juried shows, art auctions, and donate art to causes that are near and dear to my heart. Most recently my original art can be viewed at McMaster Innovation Park and The Cotton Factory, both in Hamilton, Ontario. This September, I have my first Solo Art Exhibition. Dreams really do come true!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love that each one of us can take all the energy, joy, emotions felt and create something, anything, and it is uniquely ours.
Whether or not we show it or share it with anyone else, we have produced something that wasn’t there before.
Each creation has our invested stamp on it. When another person tells me they spotted my work and knew it was mine because it feels “gentle” that touches my heart.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’m pro aging in every aspect of my life, my creative journey included.
Being in my mid 60’s, it’s so exciting to know that I’m constantly learning something, teaching myself something, putting myself out there.
My “goal” would be that others who may be feeling they are “too old” to start anything new will just try because you never know when you will stumble across something that will bring you joy.

Contact Info:

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