“I didn’t actually make the choice, it kind of chose me,” she said. “I ended up in food. And I was also really good at that. Creating recipes. The colors and the textures and the flavors and all of that was an art in itself. It satisfied me for years, but it was hard to be appreciated.”
She worked in many different restaurants, but the last restaurant she worked in was the Blue Moon Bistro in the Oregon District, which closed in 2006. After a divorce and raising a family, Borchers found her way back to art after healing by taking a local class where she learned about alcohol ink.
“I had a lot of childhood trauma, so I spent a couple of years healing, actively healing. And once I healed, then I was tapped into my heart,” she said.
She continues to paint with alcohol ink but also uses acrylics. She also enjoys collage. She gets her inspiration from many places and sometimes will layer a painting repeatedly. Splattering paint all over a canvas is another technique she likes to use.
“My inspiration occasionally comes from other artists. I’ll just see something that I like, and it comes out with my twist and my interpretation,” she said.
Once she was all in with art, she looked at getting a studio, but couldn’t find one where she felt creative. She set up a studio for herself in the basement of her apartment; and she’s been creating her art there.
Borchers donated two of her first pieces to the Oakwood School Foundation for its Art Gala. She also volunteered to help with the event and work with other artists. The gala raised around $60,000.
“I have a generous heart, so I volunteered to help them even more. And it definitely was a good experience. And I met new people. Because I didn’t know really anyone here when I came back,” she said.
Borchers has art is a few different places in Oakwood. She sells matted original art at The Flower Shoppe in Oakwood as well as Studio 77. She said that Studio 77 is “where her heart is” and that she enjoys having the opportunity to do custom work.
Beyond the physical places, Borchers sells her art on her Instagram and Facebook pages. She wanted to create a website but said that she “would rather be painting.” Creating the art is what’s important to Borchers, and she wants other artists to do that as well.
“I don’t have any advice. But don’t take yourself too seriously, and let it always come from your heart, not your head,” she said.
Besides art, Borchers is also a writer and has written two books. One book is about sustainability, which is a true passion for Borchers. She said it is imperative that we take steps in the future to take care of the Earth.
“If you’re overwhelmed, and this my philosophy for all of life, if you’re overwhelmed by anything, you’re not going to take a step. Baby steps are the most effective way to live your life and that’s what the book is about. Again, don’t take it too seriously, but do something,” she said.
Borchers’ future goals include more creating — whether it be through painting or writing. She said that she is done with things that have tied her down in the past and is optimistic about what will happen next.
“I’m 65. I want to be traveling. I want to be seeing the world and meeting people. I still like creating, but there’s any number of ways I can create,” she said.
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