Deb and Steve first met in 2001 and became partners for life in 2004. In 2007, they moved their drawing tables from their living room into a separate building they constructed as an art studio behind their Blue Ridge, Alabama home.  Professionals built the shell of the building, and then Deb and Steve finished the interior. Using every how-to book they could find, they completed the interior walls, floors and other interior details. As a finishing touch, they later added a porch with two rocking chairs to complete The Dog House Studio.

Deb and Steve were the first husband and wife in the history of the International Society of Acrylic Painters to both be juried into the same exhibition and to receive Signature status at the same time.