The Artist
On a Personal Note
Like her artful creations, Debra Valencia, the artist, has timeless style. Born in Washington, D.C. of Euro-Asian ancestry including Filipino, Spanish, Irish and German heritages, Debra’s artistic talent has been passed down from generations. Her paternal grandmother, Socorro Valencia, was a fine artist as well as her father, sister and several cousins. From the early age of five, she remembers dreaming of becoming an artist. With fantasies of far away exotic places, she would draw pictures of herself in a hula skirt dancing on a tropical island or as a mermaid swimming in the ocean. A star artist throughout grade school, Debra continued her artistic path in art college, pursuing graphic design as her major, with interests in fine art, interior design and architecture.
Debra is married to Jeff Krynski, a business consultant, avid marathon runner, musician and poet. They live in Malibu California. She has one son, Westin Walker, who is currently an art college student and budding illustrator/painter. Adamant about preserving her multi-cultural heritage, Debra maintains family trees and photo archives for both paternal and maternal families. She created a cookbook of her Filipino grandmother’s original recipes to pass on to the next generation. Debra is a frequent host who loves to cook and entertain. She finds solace in her yoga classes, walks along the beach and hikes through the Santa Monica mountains. She occasionally escapes to her second home in Tamarindo, Costa Rica where she enjoys the tropical climate, monkeys, iguanas, lush gardens and beach lifestyle. For more information, visit her website: www.casadevalencia.com.
Professional Recognition
Valencia’s expertise includes creating distinctive branding, packaging and product design for globally recognized companies in a variety of industries. Gift, Home, and Stationery: Esprit Bed & Bath, Karen Klein Candles & Spa; Toy: Hasbro, Playskool, Milton Bradley, Swingset Press, Herrington Teddy Bears, and CowParade; Entertainment and Hospitality: Disney, Hard Rock Cafés & Hotels International, The Cheesecake Factory, MGM Grand Hotels, Hilton Hotels, Luxe Hotels Worldwide, Costume Designers Guild and Leonardo DiCaprio; Publishing: Book design for artists including Mark Ryden and Liz McGrath, museums, galleries and a variety of travel, business, children and trade book publishers.
Debra founded greeting card company, Vida Valencia, in 2006. The company features a line of pop-up cards specifically designed to hold gift cards. The Vida Valencia catalog of over 130 items is currently licensed to Jillson & Roberts. Products received accolades in the press for ingenuity and design innovation including Greetings Etc. January 2007 cover and named Top Trends of 2007 as well as Best of Show at National Stationery Show 2007. For more information, visit her website: www.vidavalencia.com.
Debra is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), Greeting Card Association (GCA) and Craft & Hobby Association (CHA). Her design work has been featured in publications including Time, Interiors, HOW, Print, ID, Communication Arts, Identity, Abitare, Process Architectur, Greetings Etc., Gift & Decorative Accessories, Giftware News and the book, Women in Design 1900–2000. She has received numerous awards from the AIGA, STA and other professional design organizations.
Dedication to the Arts
A believer in giving back to the arts and thankful for being blessed with her creative talents, Debra donates her time and art services to many organizations. She served on the Board of Directors for five years for Collage Dance Theatre, a site-specific dance company that brings performing arts to the streets of LA. She has designed many of the posters, invitations, website and fundraising promotions from 1985 to present day.
Debra supported SEE-LA, Sustainable Economic Enterprises of LA, an organization that supports local farming by bringing fresh produce to seven Farmer’s Markets around LA and teaches healthful nutrition and cooking to elementary school children. She designed the logo, signage, menus, marketing materials and interior for The Farmer’s Kitchen, a permanent facility adjacent to the Hollywood Farmers’ Market promoting local farming and nutritional education.
An avid architectural fan, Debra has designed numerous architectural tour guides for the Los Angeles Conservancy, the largest membership-based local historic preservation organization in the country, dedicated to the recognition, preservation, and revitalization of the architectural and cultural heritage of greater Los Angeles.
She has served as a part-time faculty member at Otis College of Art & Design in Los Angeles. Courses she has taught include Basic Design Fundamentals, Typography, Production Technologies and Professional Practice.
Debra has selected, supervised, trained and mentored over 50 student interns from Otis College of Art & Design, California State University/Long Beach, Rhode Island School of Design, University of the Arts/Philadelphia, Santa Monica College, University of California/Los Angeles, Art Center and California Institute of the Arts. The students gained real world work experience and were better prepared to enter professional positions.
Well respected as a design educator, Debra has been invited to portfolio reviews for AIGA/LA, Otis Intern Program, and National Portfolio Day. Debra has lectured at major institutions and conferences including Cal Poly Tech in San Luis Obispo, Harvard University, Fresh Dialogue sponsored by the AIGA New York, 1990 Western Regional Conference of the Society of Environmental Graphic Designers (SEGD) and Art Director’s Clubs of LA and Washington, DC. She has served as a judge in many national design competitions for the same organizations.
Debra lives in sunny Southern California up in the one of the rugged canyons of Malibu surrounded by bright colors, her eclectic collections of fine art, pink flamingos, snow domes and Elvis memorabilia. She starts each day with a homemade cappucino while painting in her studio with an inspiring view of the Pacific Ocean.
