Captivated by the idea of designing home accessories, and inspired by the work of Cathy Cooper, former marketing consultant Debra Gould started experimenting with how to make floorcloths. She built her first website, debragouldhomecollection.com to sell her work and within a year was discovered by author Lisa Curry Mair who was writing a book on the subject.
Debra is one of 19 floorcloth artists in North America featured in the book Floorcloth Magic, published in 2001 in the US. Her piece, Pre-Columbian Twins accompanies Debra’s story, excerpted here:
Debra Gould studied art in Montreal and silversmithing in Mexico and Toronto. But this training was not the focus of her first career. An MBA graduate with a successful Toronto-based career consulting to Fortune 500 companies, Debra decided at age 40 that is was time to try something new. She always wondered what would have happened if she had used her early art training rather than following a more secure profession. Closing her consulting company and selling or giving away most of her belongings, Debra moved to the remote island of Salt Spring, British Columbia, in 1999. In the quiet of the countryside, she began her internal search for how she might follow her heart in the second half of her life.
Debra is committed to functional art as a focus for her business. “We’re surrounded by functional objects, usually mass produced and not necessarily that fun or interesting to look at,” she says. “By introducing a few handcrafted items into our homes we create a unique environment and bring our rooms to life.” A passion for color is evident in Debra’s Home Collection. Her designs are loosely grouped into six themes: Asian, Sophisticats, Naturals, Primitives, Whimsical and Wild Things.
Thanks to the Internet, clients in Canada, the United States, and Australia collect Debra’s floorcloths, table art, mirrors, boxes, trays and clocks.
Learn more about Floorcloth Magic: How to Paint Canvas Rugs for Decorative Home Use
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