Meet Deborrah Daher: Extraordinarily Beautiful Work!

I stumbled upon Deborrah Daher's website through the metalcyberspace web directory. I am always searching for interesting work and new ideas and find this directory to be one of the best for showcasing designers. But, when I came to Deborrah's site: http://www.deborrahdaher.com/ I was BLOWN AWAY. Her work is truly extraordinary!

Deborrah Daher is an internationally published award-winning artist. Originally a painter and ceramic artist, she fell in love with the art of jewelry making in 1980.

Here is what Deborrah has to say:

What attracted you to this form of expression? Is your jewelry similar in any way to your paintings and ceramic pieces?

When I was young, I worked in my mother’s fabric store with a woman who made jewelry. In 1980, in decided to take classes from her in her home so I could make myself some pieces to wear, and that’s how I got my start. I most definitely bring my love of color and texture from painting and clay to the metal, combining different colors of metal and a variety of stones. My “bowl” brooches are an ongoing series since the very beginning. They are small vessel shapes – a direct reference to my days as a functional potter.

How would you describe your style?

...quietly elegant with a powerful presence. When you look at my work, you are looking at me.

Your work is particularly subtle and gentle in appearance. What do you find most challenging about achieving this effect?

It can be a balancing act. I’m careful to stop short of too much. A piece can get overworked easily when using so many different things. It needs to stay quiet, but at the same time interesting.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Like many artists, I look to nature. I am always looking down when I walk, seeing little bits of gravel or layers of pavement and ice, or caught by the way the light might be hitting the surface of a leaf. I try to express my feelings about the “big” things in life by calling attention to the “little” things often overlooked.

What do you do when you struggle with inspiration?

Clean the studio! Sometimes it helps to do something else for awhile.

As an artist, what challenges do you encounter in making your work successful as a business?

It’s an ongoing struggle to attend to the bookwork, the marketing, the publicity, etc. It’s not a natural inclination or strength, but can’t be neglected, and it’s how I go about getting my work out there in front of people, which is really what I want to do. Making the artwork and running the business both can be draining, so again, it’s a matter of striking a balance.

What do you think are the best ways to market one-of-a-kind jewelry?

There are probably just as many ways as there are different types of one of kind pieces. My work fits well in gallery settings rather than as an accessory. I have had wonderful response at well regarded fine craft shows, where the audience is educated to seeing jewelry as art.

What advise do you have for other jewelry designers?

Keep yourself open to change – be flexible about what you do and how you approach selling or showing it. Stagnation is the death of creativity.

Deborrah's work has been published in a variety of publications and her work is shown at exhibitions including one just recently in Philadelphia. Check her website for updates on her work.

What a pleasure to share Deborrah's work with you!

Enjoy!

Sally