Debbie Gillingham

Artist Biography

I was born and raised in Somerset as part of a large family. Being the eldest I often amused myself by painting and drawing, although in those days it was felt tip pens and poster paints. Living in a small village, I was surrounded by horses and ponies, which developed my fascination with the animal kingdom. Artistically, horses were my first subject, primarily as a way of fulfilling my dreams of having my own pony. After many years of riding other people's ponies, my parents realized my dedication and bought me a pony.

In 1990, having decided to pursue a career in equestrian art, I moved to Newmarket, Suffolk. After several years, I had the opportunity to move to Dubai, UAE, where the horse racing industry was rapidly expanding. It was at this point that I decided to concentrate on becoming a full-time artist and my career began to flourish with an increase in commissions and the popularity of my art, prints and posters in galleries. It was in Dubai that I found my Spaniel, Toby, who now lives with me in Somerset.

In 1997, after a long holiday in England, I decided to move back and fulfill my ultimate ambition of becoming a successful artist in my own country. In effect, my career started again, only painting art, prints and posters of dogs rather than horses. I spent as much time around them as I could, studying and painting them. I now have a rather new addition to my family, a Black Labrador named Friday, who along with Toby, is the inspiration for a lot of my work.

Debbie Gillingham Art, Prints and Posters Collection