Debbie Schramer

I have been an artist since 1987 when I began creating small whimsical art from nature: fairy furniture and fairy houses created from natural materials. My husband and I and our two sons lived on a little farm in Washington state. I was fascinated with the wildflowers and plants near our home and also grew a large garden of flowers and herbs. I would go for long walks collecting these beautiful treasures to turn them into fairy tale pieces. Many years later, I started painting and truly loved that experience. I came from a very creative family of artists, musicians and writers so I loved art of any kind. When I was growing up, we always lived in rural areas, in the mountains, by the ocean and even in an old hunter's cabin. All of these influences made a real impact on me in giving me a wonderful appreciation and love for art and nature. I have been married for 44 years, my husband is also an artist and we have two sons who are a composer and a filmmaker, so we have continued the creative legacy on. I am very grateful to be an artist and to express my love for this life.

I am from California originally, from Los Angeles, Garden Grove, Long Beach and Surfside. I attended schools in California until the fourth grade, when we moved to Oregon. I graduated from a small high school in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I later attended two small community colleges In Washington state, studying early childhood education and art. I also took ballet classes for nearly ten years when I was younger, also studying modern dance as well. I have had many music lessons, learning the harp, oboe, clarinet, flute and piano and had voice lessons as well. I am mostly self taught in art and also write children's books and poetry, learning these on my own. I compose on the piano and make up songs.