Artist - Illustrator
Deborah Schilling
I believe my art mirrors where I was born, where I grew up, and where I lived in Miami Beach, Fl. I was born in Havana, Cuba the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. The colors of Cuba are like none other and it definitely influences my work! It is seen in the hues, faces, and animals that appear in my art.
I grew up in Brooklyn N.Y.. Brooklyn was an incredible place to live and grow up, but without question, it was the antithesis of Cuba. While I was in middle school and high school I was fortunate to attend the Brooklyn Museum Art School. There I learned to draw the nude and to develop my drawing and painting skills. New York City, with its astonishing art culture, its excitement, and diversity of people and language brings a lot of strength to my line, which shows in my work. I was accepted into The School of Visual Arts, New York. I studied every aspect of drawing, painting, illustration and graphic design I received my B.F.A in 1982. New York City has stayed with me in the way that I walk, talk and think.
As an adult, I moved to Miami Beach. Miami is an amalgamation of the many Hispanic cultures that thrive there. It is a tropical city that is vibrant and alive with Caribbean music and language, and buildings of white or pastel that gleam in the heat and sun. Miami, a surrogate for my hometown of Havana, had an intense influence in my art as a working artist. I did a a lot of Illustration work for Harcourt Brace Hispanic Division. I also illustrated children's books for Scholastic, Children's Press. I went back to school at the University Of Miami, studied animation and motion picture production and received my MFA in 1995. I became an art teacher in private art schools and for the Dade County Schools in the Miami Area until 2014.
Today, I love living with my family in Albany, California. Next to Berkeley and UC Berkeley an incredible university. I have my studio here an incredible building that is adjacent to my home. The Bay Area has an intellectual and cultural vibe that I missed very much from my years in New York. Eventually, I know my work will begin to reflect the California environment and lifestyle, moving into my subject and expression, although my artwork will always be colorful and meaningful to me!