Debi Fitzgerald

Debi Fitzgerald has been a professional artist for more than 28 years. Her love of nature, animals and humanity is apparent in her works of art. Without formal training Debi has evolved as an artist through the great depths she feels for the world around her. Debi is not limited to any one medium as her self-taught abilities allowed her the freedom to experiment. As a result she is comfortable in oils, acrylics and pastels. On the road to self discovery Debi recognized the difference between a" nice" painting and a "great" painting. "Art, she says, comes from the heart and must be actualized with both honesty and integrity. It is from the depths of one's soul that the artist must create! "

Her love of nature earned her a reputation as The Rose Lady in the 70s. She mastered pastels with her roses drenched with water drops and went on to study other life in nature.

In the 80s she then became known by her collectors as The Wolf Lady. Her beautiful, dramatic images of wolves became widely collected. She went on to create her renderings of wildlife which won her many awards. She gained notoriety worldwide. 

In 1988 Debi became a mother to her greatest creation, her son, who expanded her love and dedication , not only to him, but to her canvas.

 In the 90s Fitzgerald won the title as National Artist for Ducks Unlimited, Canada  in both 1991 and 1996! She also won the Silver Teal award and the Bronze award for her outstanding contribution to waterfowl conservation. Her expression took a turn during the late 90’s, after experiencing some traumatic losses, including a sudden divorce from her husband, who at the time was managing her artistic career. She began to explore the possibilities of creating art as a tool to help people feel on a deeper level. She began to create a compilation of art and writing entitled" Dancing Light", subtitled "It's All About Love" while in Australia. This project was abandoned because of personal losses and those 4' x 6'canvases were left behind. As a result Debi spent many years in the conceptualizing stage of developing her art as a tool to help her move through her own grieving process .

In 2000 she was ready to share her healing journey with her public and by May 31, 2002 her new compilation was born (unveiled ) at Gallery On The Lake in Buckhorn, Ontario. Twelve 4' x6' canvases , depicting the grieving stages, along with written inspirations and music to orchestrate the highs and lows, were exhibited to help others move through their own grief.

A book and CD were published to help others heal themselves. The exhibit was moved from the public part of the gallery as people were reacting emotionally. It moved the public so deeply , that the exhibit was held over, moved upstairs and used by many as a way to heal some very deep emotional wounds.

Today there are many Palliative Care groups, Grief Councilors and others who use this book to help remove emotional blocks. The paintings, a collection of twelve will be able to help such groups, once they are free to travel.

In July 19th of 2003 Debi Fitzgerald was inducted into the Pathway of Fame in Peterborough, Ontario acknowledging the valued contribution to the heritage of the community Debi became involved with trying to help protect our water as the result of a vision that appeared to her (On the home page) from 2001. The Loon Guardian was created and to this day the story is still unfolding.

Debi's direction, both as an artist and an environmentalist is now leading her to broader horizons. She and others, along with The Ontario Stewardship, are the organizers of The Lakeland Conference whose prime intention is to help educate the public about how to take care of our waters and shorelines.

Debi's new work in progress is a book entitled" Our Waters- Our Gift". It will have a compilation of over 60 images depicting our lakes, rivers and streams. Her intent is to portray the beauty of our waters and how they are connected.

Fitzgerald says  "I want to  touch the hearts of those who appreciate it, in hopes that mankind will do something to take care of one of our most precious resources-our water. Many solutions and products will be made available through this coffee table book.

Throughout this year Fitzgerald's direction is strong. Her beliefs are solid. She believes , more than ever, that God-given talents are to be shared with others to inspire them and to help them find their own gifts.

"A rare and precious asset of the international art community, Debi Fitzgerald is blessed with the gift of combining world-class artistic creativity and technical talent along with an amazing insight to the human spirit." the late Rick Amsbury