About The Artist
Debbie-Drum Bitterly is a self-taught sculptor, former racehorse jockey, and mother of three. Debbie has always had a passion and skill for sculpting. Growing up, she would carve and sculpt anything she could get her hands on. She recalls her inclination for sculpting as early as elementary school when she would secretly carve the teacher’s blackboard chalk into tiki heads and then return the chalk to her teacher’s surprise. Unaware that her ability to sculpt was in fact a unique talent she possessed, she did not pursue any formal teaching. Instead she pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a jockey. Throughout this time, she continued to explore her love for carving and sculpting by modeling wax for gold and silver jewelry. It wasn’t until years later that she discovered clay was her preferred medium.
After taking a leave from the horse racing world to raise a family, Debbie spent time teaching herself how to sculpt in clay by reading books she borrowed from the library. Sculpting in clay has transformed the way she perceives her artwork and has expanded the variety of pieces she can create. It has made it possible for her to create larger, more realistic pieces. Debbie seeks inspiration from nature, animals, history, culture, and current events. Her artwork could be described as eclectic, but with a central theme of humanity, nature, and animals. As a former jockey, she spent majority of her life working closely with horses, which is translated through her very lifelike sculptures of these beloved creatures. Debbie lives on the Jersey shore with her family and is still actively working with horses when she isn’t sculpting in her studio.