Born in Prince George in the  early 1950’s, Deborah Leigh didn’t start to draw until she  was in her
50’s. She discovered her talent later in life.

During a period of recovery from an illness, Deborah started to “doodle” to help her relax. These “doodles” quickly evolved in size and  in subject matter. Black and  white shapes and  forms  turned into full coloured surreal landscapes with creatures, people, foliage, trees, houses, and  so on.

In Deborah's words:

"I create as a form of escapism, and I just love the process of creating. Each piece is never pre-planned, I
simply work from my imagination, intuition, and the subconscious.

I put the colour down on lightly dampened paper and wait for a “sign” letting me know in which direction
I am to go next.

My hope is that viewers could be drawn into my images with a sense of curiosity, wonderment, and questioning of what the images are trying to portray. I like to include pathways, roads, and byways that represent the journeys we all undertake and where these paths may be leading us to in our lives.

My art is the pathway  to the imaginary place in our minds. It is escapism – a place I can journey to, where all of our pain, struggles and worries can be left behind. Within my work I find a sense of peace, even if it’s just for a matter of moments.”