Deborah Boelter’s artistic technique is cultivated through her life’s work as a licensed practicing psychologist. In her psychotherapy practice, Deborah works collaboratively with clients to find creative solutions to the struggles and dilemmas they face. She is keenly aware of how influential the past can be to people, creating lasting memories that either plague the psyche or soothe the person in everyday life. Ultimately, Deborah’s goal is to help her clients create a more satisfying life by interweaving their past demons – as well as cherished or perhaps forgotten solutions – with their present-day abilities.

Much like her work as a therapist, Deborah takes bits and pieces of the past and present of people’s lives to form works that move and inspirit her patrons. Reflecting the fact that her art is molded by both her artistic creativity and the sensitivities she has gained in her work as a psychologist, she calls her venture “Psycollage.” With cherished objects or ideas shared by her clientele, Deborah creates collages on canvas, bottles, boxes, or any creative surface she finds particularly appropriate for forming special art pieces for those who commission them.

Deborah has created a series of whimsical and brightly colored paintings where collaged houses represent the person’s “sense of self.” These works include handpicked internal and external furnishings that complete a person’s landscaped home. As a therapist, Deborah has learned to listen closely to the stories clients tell her about their lives. She finds herself fascinated by what things represent or mean to them. Deborah applies these sensitivities in creating her specially ordered art pieces. As a result, each work tells a story for the individual client who commissioned it.

With a belief in the importance of wonder and imagination, Deborah instills an almost childlike sensibility to her art. She interweaves images of fantasy, such as faery godmothers, magic wands, and flying characters, in order to lend a magical quality to her houses. Snatches of poetry or songs are tucked within her collages and paintings to complete the stories she is telling in her work.