About Deb

Romancing the Wind

Deb had always been intrigued by things that are moved by the wind... sailboats, hot air balloons, clouds, just being out in nature. And being creative, she figured out a way to turn her passion into a career. In the early 1970's she began working with the lightest of fabrics designing and building hot air balloons. Deb never thinks small!
Did you know there are 3 to 4 miles of sewing involved in the creation of each balloon? And she didn't stop there. Once she understood the architecture of balloon design she set about designing leather applications for the gondola baskets, those beautiful wicker structures that hold people and ballast the balloon.

Her next affair with the wind involved moving to Annapolis, where she found herself in a sail loft sewing sails and learning custom canvas design. You can't be around sailboats and hear about palm trees, sugar sand beaches and turquoise water without wanting to try some. So being an adventurous spirit, she loaded her sewing machine, black dog, Misfit, and most treasured objects aboard a Norwegian canal boat and headed south for the winter. . . to Coconut Grove. And she liked it.

Now here was a place where the wind blew, the sky was azure and the water clear and warm. And like a coconut that finds itself beached on a friendly island, she put down roots. And opened up Thin Air Canvas.

But what else could she do with canvas? How about fabricating everything for yachts, inside and out, designing awnings, or cabanas or umbrellas. From private homes to resorts, to shrouding soaring outdoor sculptures for ceremonial unveilings, she found herself creating practical and beautiful works of art with canvas. She even designed a Coast Guard approved car restraint system for a private island ferry after an exotic sports car slid overboard in a choppy sea!

But can she work small? How about windsurfing harnesses. She designed and built hundreds of them. She also created a "470 sailing dinghy" harness used by the US team in the Olympics. (Maybe we should get her autograph...LOL)

She won the IFAI International Achievement Award for her canvas designs. Her keen eye for attention to detail makes every concept a work of art and she has traveled world wide working on projects for Thin Air Canvas.

One morning she awoke and realized something had changed... the wind. There was less of it. After 3 decades the village on the bay had become saturated with people, noise and lots of very tall buildings that blocked the wind.

So she uprooted Thin Air Canvas and moved 100 miles north onto 5 acres. Now in fall she watches migrating birds arrive on wind that bends tall grasses and ruffles leaves. Hawks, storks and hummingbirds pass through and a great horned owl lives and hunts on the property.

And she's fallen in love... with a paint horse named Rocky and found a need for high quality horse supplies. From custom fly masks, to blankets, to Halloween costumes to NibbleNet ®.

And can you say NibbleNet ® three times quickly? Do you own a fat nervous equine who's eating you out of house and home? You need NibbleNet ®! The colorful, rugged, snack bag for horses. Keep 'em happy, healthy and entertained with NibbleNet ®.

So what does Deb do in her spare time? She pals around with a beautiful, big black, Newfoundland dog named Rex that she rescued from the pound. He is now a certified Therapy dog, visiting schools to educate the young and visits seniors for the sheer joy of brightening their day. He was recently seen attired in a custom tailored tuxedo when he served as an usher in a wedding. (Now where would he get something like that?)

Thank you for visiting Thin Air Canvas and getting to know Deb. All of Thin Air Canvas' high quality custom work is created on premises by Deb, in America.

by Carol Garvin - Coconut Grove Carol Garvin Tropical Watercolors