Layers Upon Layers: Mixed Media Art

Artist Profile: Eileen Bergen

by Cyndi on January 10th, 2008

Artist: Eileen Bergen
The Artful Crafter blog
The Artful Crafter website

Eileen, how do you describe your work?
I’m an eclectic crafter/artist. I’ll try anything once. My current favorite media are digital graphics, digital photography, beaded jewelry and wire-sculpted jewelry. My website, The Artful Crafter, grew out of my desire to share the joy of crafting and teach others what I have learned, as well as to share some of my original designs and patterns. In fact, the website motto is “The Artful Crafter – Helping Crafters to Be”.

That’s me second from the right in the photo above. This layout uses the following digital design products: Nana’s Attic Foofaraw 2 kit and Jessica Sprague’s Grunge Frame 1.

What is your creative process like?
My website forces me to be market-driven. I need (and want) to give my readers what they are looking for. For example, I had never done much decoupage, but that turned out to be the #1 topic readers asked for. So I’ve become a bit of an expert on decoupage!

What I personally want to spend more time on is digital graphics. I just love what an artist can do digitally. You don’t need a huge studio and shelves full of supplies. Anything you don’t like is easily undone. Supplies can be used over and over. If I had my druthers, I’d be glued to the computer all day long.

No matter what the media, I need to have an end product in mind. Then I pull together suitable materials and let them guide me in my work. The result is often quite different from what I originally had in mind; but working toward a goal keeps me focused on producing a finished product.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
My mother always encouraged my artistic endeavors and saw that I had all the training my folks could afford – from classes in oil painting and ceramics to silk screening and print making. That is – until it came time to start college.

Then my mom and dad sat me down and said, “Now it’s time to think about a way to make a living. Why don’t you get a teaching degree so you’ll have something to fall back on?” So that’s exactly what I did. After 15 years, I changed careers from teaching to finance and did very well. Financial success allowed me to retire early and decide what I really want to do with the rest of my life.

So I had a 30-year sabbatical from my artistic side and this is a very exciting time for me. I consider myself (and probably always will) an artist-in-training. I spend as much time as I can on digital graphic websites, especially those with tutorials. I’m also plodding my way through several how-to books: one on Photoshop; one on handmade books; and one on various paper crafts. When I can find the time, I want to take a course to refresh my drawing skills which are a bit rusty after 30 years!

[The Sew What? banner uses the following Scrap Girls digital design products: paper from the DEB_BeachHouse collection; alphas and embellishments from the EHI_Always, TWA_BlushingBerry and CFR_BLP collections.]
Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Hands down, it’s Photoshop – and oh, I guess you need a computer for that … and nice card stock and photo paper … and a paper cutter and paper scorer. Forget it – I want it all! I’m forever seeing some new and exciting craft tool that I just have to have.

What inspires you to create?
Letters from my readers and orders from my customers. They ask me to do something or how to do something and I figure it out or make it for them. If I didn’t have them to motivate me, I think I would be like a fish out of water – just sort of flopping around. I know not much would get done. It’s one thing to have an artistic vision in your head (I have tons of those!), but it’s something entirely different to actually create something.

[The letterz banner was made using Scrap Girls: CBA_AntiqueCharm key, papers and alphas;TCS_Bella rope and staple; DMI_Bridal envelope; AMC_Comfort ribbon; and CFR_BLP white pearl pin.]

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
This is not very artistic-sounding, but it’s deadlines. I need deadlines like a – well – fish needs water. I get deadlines from my website (daily blog, monthly newsletter, reader letters) and from my craft customers (”But, I’m leaving tomorrow and must take it with me!”).

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
Just do it! If you love art and love to create it, start wherever you are and get going. Grandma Moses started painting at age 75. You can always be better tomorrow than you are today.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Well there really isn’t much time left! I do try to work out regularly and I sing in our church choir. I meet friends for coffee three or four mornings a week and spend evenings with my hubby of 40 years. At 6:00 p.m. all computers go on sleep mode and we relax with a glass of wine while we throw something together for dinner.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
Oooh, I love to bake. I look at baking as just another art form. My favorite (this year) is a cheese bougatsu. It’s a Greek-style cheesecake made with mascarpone cheese in a phyllo crust. My original recipe garnered 1st place at our local culinary art club.

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POSTED IN: Artist Profiles, Assemblage, Bead Art & Jewelry, Book Arts, Collage, Digital Art, Fabric & Fiber, Mixed Media, Paper, Wearable Art