Debbie studied painting at Glasgow School of Art, attracted by its reputation for producing strong figurative painters. Debbie went onto exhibit with the ‘Glasgow Girls’, Boundary Gallery (London) 1995-2002. Following her interest in the ‘Hairy Who’ Chicago Imagists and outsider art she went to study at the Art Institute of Chicago. She was awarded a travel scholarship to Italy by the RSA where she soaked up the imagery from the frescos and at the RCA she felt lucky to meet two of her favourite artists who taught there, Ken Kiff and Paula Rego amongst many more. She spent a year in Cyprus before embarking upon teaching at Grays School of Art and undertaking a Commonwealth Universities research scholarship to India to study traditional arts and crafts. The main focus of her work is drawing, painting, printmaking and animation on themes including storytelling, identity and magic. She worked as an art therapist from 1998 to 2006. The use of art as a therapeutic and expressive medium contributed to her development as an artist.

Debbie worked as an art therapist in the NHS with children and families for a number of years. Behind some of her work is the intention of raising awareness and opening a conversation on the subject of perinatal mental health. She is committed to using art to promote good mental health. She has taken part in projects which help to find the balance between art-making and parenting such as Project After Birth, and the Brood Film Festival with the Digital Institute of Early Parenting. She took part in the Quickening screening at the Nightingale cinema with a group of mothers who animate in Chicago. Her animations have been shown at the CAA conference in New York.