Debbie Ratcliffe
The Dragon Dance Dynasty
Acrylic on canvas
About the Artist
We want a new vision. We want to amp it up. Colours of the world. Hear our roar. We are the queens and kings of colour. Come and see us. We love art. We’ve got a disability, but what of it? We are sisters here in the spiritual way. To have a career in art means to meet people, have a studio and art shows. Our destiny is our work, and to go out in the public making speeches. We’re part of a puzzle that got slipped into place. Here we are not a club, we are individuals with a passion for art. We demand that what we paint is real and true no matter who creates it. We are bold in the creation. We do love our work. We were put on this earth for a purpose. We are putting our own mark on the world. I am an artist.
My name is Debbie Ratcliffe, but my friends call me the “mother of all dragons.” I have been an artist at BEING Studio since 2007. I have a vivid imagination and I am fascinated by dragons. I love to make large dragon sculptures with papier mâché. I also paint colourful images of animals and flowers. I use colours and shapes that don’t belong on things – like rainbow zebras and kaleidoscope flowers. I like to spice things up that way. I bring things to the table as an artist with BEING studio. I bring ideas, understanding, encouragement and cooperation as a team player. I also do this as a public speaker and an advocate for artists with disabilities. Having a voice means a lot to me. Displaying my work in public shows the art world that I am here, that I belong in their world, and they belong in mine. I love my job!
