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Northeast Ohio is full of creative people following their dreams while trying to make a living. From jewelry crafted out of broken street glass to sound equipment engineered for rock stars, see what people are "making" in the community.

Making It: During Recovery, Patient Tears Open New Career

MAKER: Deborah Shapiro, Magazine Collage Artist

FROM PATIENT TO ARTIST: Deborah loves leafing through a good magazine.  Not necessarily to read articles or look at photos, but to hunt for color, text, and shapes that go into the one-of-a-kind art that she began producing a few years ago.  It all began after she went into the hospital for major surgery and came out an artist. 

BEFORE BECOMING AN ARTIST: “Making art was not on my radar at all.  Prior to creating collages, I was a corporate videographer for over 35 years and created less than ten pieces of art over that period in oils and acrylics. However, my video career has really helped me with my artwork.  Whenever I work on a piece, I’m thinking that my key-light is over here and where the shadows fall and that has helped me with my artwork.  To show where the shadows are. And that’s what really makes my artwork pop!”

GETTING UP CLOSE WITH DEBORAH: “From a distance, you see the subject of the artwork while close up, you will find a myriad of details.  My collages are painted with ripped and cut bits of paper from magazines, which are layered between coats of clear acrylic and finished with an acrylic varnish for UV protection.  The main subjects of my art reflect my love of animals and the everyday experiences that comprise my middle-aged, mid-west suburban life like coffee, wine and flowers.”

jeff.haynes@ideastream.org | 216-916-6276