All posts by Debra Torger

About Debra Torger

Debra Torger is a mixed-media and fiber artist. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. She lived in Harrisonburg for 22 years before moving to San Francisco and then to Hawaii where she lived for 10 years. Since moving to Sarasota, FL she has developed an art program at Community Haven where clients with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to explore creativity and show work in venues including their own gallery. Debra's paintings have been included in exhibits in galleries like The Art Center Sarasota, The Art Center Manatee, and The Artist Guild Gallery of Anna Maria Island. Other venues where she has shown work include Cutting Loose Salon, the Voalte office, Fogartyville, and the Art and Cultural Alliance office. She is a member of the Association of Florida Teaching Artists, the Art Center Sarasota, the Art Center Manatee, the Artist Guild of Anna Maria Island, and the Art and Cultural Alliance. Her work can also be seen and is for sale at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Torgerstudio.

SALTY Turning the Tide

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SALTY Turning the Tide is my first published book. It’s fictional for kids 9 and up, and an environmental story about what happens when people become careless about the land, water and sky. Salty, the main character, is a crab looking forward to a relaxing day on the beach only to find trash and mayhem every step of the way. Who or what is polluting the bay? I won’t give away the plot, but it is about taking responsibility and why we should care.

I think the most challenging hurdle for Salty was the writing, and conveying my message. Words are powerful. How do you write about pollution and be positive when the solution is not in sight? How does one spin a happy ending? Telling the story from the animals point of view was the way to go. I used rhyme through the whole story to keep it upbeat. The crab’s encounters with the disgruntled sea creatures show the many ways our actions on the land affect the water and the animals that live there. What is the main message? It would be that we need to take care of our environment. We are finding solutions that help clean the water, and at the same time we see policies that hurt the environment. At the end of the book is a list of local organizations focused on the water and land. These organizations are a good resource of information. Some have stewardship opportunities for the local youth.

While working on the words, I struggled with the drawing style. That kind of perfectionism made me procrastinate even more with the writing. Eventually, the words came together and I put it together in zine form. By that time, the illustrations were now secondary, so I ended up with a simple whimsical watercolor style. I showed a black and white copy to my editor and he suggested that I get it formatted and go full color with Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark.

Would Salty make a fun musical? I have a short song at the end, but the whole story rhymes and has a beat, so it could be a ballad. There are puppets for most of the characters. Some have been given away or sold, so I keep making more. What is most fun – writing, illustrating, or making the puppets? Probably illustrating.

Salty is available now via Amazon KDP and Ingram Spark.

https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Titles/TitleDetails/CSS9464304

The Uprising Sea

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THE UPRISING SEA

Please check out the sketchbook I submitted to the Sketchbook Project for 2018.  I wrote an illustrated a story about the environment in comic book form.  The story is about a doll’s encounter with an angry ocean.  I already mailed this in to the Sketchbook Project in Brooklyn, typos and all!  It will go on tour with other sketchbooks, and the permanent location will be in the Brooklyn Art Library, located at 28 Frost Street, Brooklyn NY  11211.   It’s a first draft for my first original story with characters inspired by my dolls.  I hope you enjoy!

 

Puppets for Puerto Rico

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Puppets for Puerto Rico is one way we can help the children in Puerto Rico who need comfort in the wake of Hurricane Maria.   The people in Puerto Rico (they are US citizens) are doing their best to recover and rebuild their communities after the devastation.  Their basic needs are coming through and now basic supplies are gradually getting out to the municipals around the island from the main distribution areas.

I’ve been wanting to help in some way that would make a difference.   I decided cloth dolls like the ones I make can be something soft to hold and talk to for a child who’s lost everything.  So many children have been affected and I wish I could do more.

I am asking the community to join me in making as many cloth doll puppets as we can for the children in Puerto Rico in time for the holidays, end of November is the target date.   Handmade gifts made from the heart are so much more special than mass produced toys.   I will post basic instructions on how to fabricate your own doll/puppet like the one pictured.  It’s fun to make a cloth doll puppet and  pretty easy to do.  Colored pencils, crayons or non-toxic markers are ideal when making the face.   Most dolls can be made with a fat quarter of material and other scraps, and roughly 30 feet of yarn.   The community made puppets will be distributed by Mi Madre and The V Project throughout Puerto Rico.  If you’d like to help in some way, please contact me at debratorger@gmail.com.   Muchas gracias!