Firebird: the Making of a Collage | Deborah Eater - Blog

Firebird: the Making of a Collage | Deborah Eater - Blog

I believe I've made some real progress since my last post.  I'm making art full-time from a shared studio in Langhorne, PA, exhibiting it throughout the greater Philadelphia region, and selling it on-line through my own website, DeborahEater.com. I have a blog there, too: the post linked at the top of this describes how I made a 20"x24" painterly collage and links to a video documenting the process.

Trying to come up with info for my website, I realized that I could legitimately call myself a "regionally acclaimed" artist: I've won awards for my artwork from shows scattered over a 60-mile radius, from Millville, NJ, to Philadelphia, and on up the Delaware River to Erwinna, PA.  After being selected to participate in the National Collage Society's 33rd annual juried exhibition this autumn, I can add "nationally recognized" to my accomplishments, too.  And thanks to artist trading card swaps that I've made with artists in Canada and Italy, I can even say that my work is "internationally collected." Although I'll admit that the last claim is a bit of a stretch, it all wraps up very nicely.

I had to give up my passion for Travian to accomplish this, alas.  It was, however, worth it.

Occupation: Artist

Just over two years ago I wrote that I was taking a new direction in my life.  I can hardly believe how much has changed since then.  At that time I'd barely shown my work to anyone and hardly knew how to go about trying to sell it.

Things started off slowly at first.  I had no idea how to proceed, so I joined a group of local artists, Artists of Bristol on the Delaware (AOB).  Their annual show that spring was the first time I exhibited as an artist rather than a student or a hobbyist.  It was also the first time I ever hung a show.  (I figured it was something I ought to learn to do, and no better way than to jump in with both feet and volunteer.)

At the AOB meetings I began to meet other artists and to learn about art opportunities in the area.  It was fairly intimidating.  Everyone else seemed so much more experienced.  They were friendly and encouraging, but when they talked about upcoming shows and exhibits it was as if it was in code.  I tried asking questions, but even the answers seemed to be in a foreign language.

At first I didn't enter many shows, and only open call (un-juried) ones at that.  The main reason for this is that I didn't have much work yet to exhibit.  My process is a very time-consuming one, I was just getting started, and I'm afraid playing Travian doesn't have a positive effect on my output.  A second reason was lack of confidence, but little by little I began to overcome that.

The next big step is getting involved with a gallery.