Debi White Eastep
Photographer & Mixed Media Artist
518 Persimmon Lane, Bridgeport, WV 26330
[email protected]
Peel the Tape Studio
I am a photographer, mixed media artist and writer who loves art, gardening and photography.
As a small child I grew up on my great uncle’s farm here in Harrison County, West Virginia. I was surrounded by large vegetable gardens, dirt under my fingernails, and so many rocks that there was the start of rock walls here and there across the soft green rolling hills and wonderful trees.
My love for Mother Nature and the outdoors comes naturally as my dad studied to be a forest ranger and his study books fascinated me. My uncle loved taking pictures of flowers more than people. Another uncle had a nature talent for drawing. Then my sweet aunt taught me how to forage and bring nature into the house with gathered nuts, pinecones, twigs, wildflowers, and rocks.
I loved art class in high school (Lumberport High School) and turned our home room class into the Yellow Submarine and helped turn the Clarksburg YMCA into Flower Power one month. I took oil painting class in Shinnston and then on to Frames N Things under the instruction of Bob Onacre. In 1978 I had a one-man two-week art show in the original and beautiful Clarksburg Library now called the Waldomore.
In 1979 I moved to Phoenix, AZ which I called “surface of the sun” and so very different from my beautiful green hills and mountains of West Virginia. There I took an Old Master’s Class at Phoenix Art Museum and then several desert landscaping oil painting classes in Glendale, AZ.
But as life often does work demands grew and all my creative energy went into my marketing job for fortune 500 company in five different states throughout the west. This experience helped me to be a “creative visionary” and realize many successful ideas and events in five different states.
Now I am here reinventing myself again. Coming back to “Everything old to me is new again” has filled me with so much joy and gratitude.
I am proud of my Fridge Art concept and currently working on Wild with Wonder Series.
My community involvement throughout West Virigina.
Member of the West Virigina Watercolor Society
Member of the Morgantown Art Association
Juried into Forest Festival, Elkins, WV
Juried into The Art Centers Gala, Elkins, WV
Two years Juried into the National Aqueous Watercolor Show
Juried into the Two Two Eight Gallery, Fairmont, WV
First Artist to be featured at the Bridgeport, WV Public Library Wall
Juried in Artistry On Main Gallery, Buckhannon, WV