Debbie has a degree in biological sciences and returned to college when her children were small to study first textiles, and later ceramics. She spent 10 years as a textile artist and then retrained in ceramics. She has been a full-time ceramic artist since 2010. She initially specialised in naked raku but since 2020 has completely changed her practise to make sculptural pieces, vessels and wall panels in stoneware.
Debbie won the City & Guilds Gold Medal for Excellence in Ceramics in 2009.
Debbie enjoys travelling abroad and draws inspiration for her ceramics from the places she visits. She has just returned from a visit to India where she gathered a lot of inspiration and information for further collections. As someone who is passionate about pattern she was particularly interested and inspired by the decoration and marble inlay at the Itmad-ud-Daula (also known as the Baby Taj) and the Taj Mahal itself.
Debbie is married with two grown children and lives and works in Leicestershire. She has her own garden studio which looks out onto a piece of land which she is in the process of rewilding. It includes creating a wild flower meadow, large pond and planting over 100 native trees.