Art Chowder January | February 2018, Issue 13 | Page 10

A t one point my husband asked me why I didn’t paint more often and I told him I didn’t have time for it. He said, “Well if the opportunity arises, we should sell the agency and you should concentrate on your art.” By sheer coincidence, one of our agents had recently quit and I was in the process of interviewing a replacement. During the interview I mentioned to the lady that I wasn’t sure I even wanted to keep the agency. The next day she came in and offered to buy it! I took that as a sign, and with the total support and encouragement of my husband, Al, I became a full-time artist. It was a great decision and I love being able to work as an artist each and every day. Art Chowder: Between having a military stepdad, and all your work at various travel agencies, you must have done some traveling yourself. Where have you been? Debbie: As a kid, I traveled throughout Europe when my stepstepfather was stationed in Germany. I explored the United Kingdom as a married adult, and my husband and I recently spent our 30th wedding anniversary at Disney World! 10 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE