About Us
The Legacy written in Paint.
Welcome to Studio Eclipse, born from the visionary minds of three remarkable creators: Lioba Brückner, a renowned painter weaving together fantastical themes with expert technique and ancient history; Heidi Moone, a sharp-witted author and publisher with a keen business sense; and Tracy Eire, an author and fantasy artist whose work pulses with wild energy, mysticism, and hope. All three value truth, beauty, and enchantment. Their powers combine to create a collective where learning and imagination collide.
Our Story
Lioba Brückner’s artistic journey began at the Academy of Arts in Düsseldorf, but it wasn’t the dream she had imagined. The conservative environment and the lack of camaraderie among fellow students left her disheartened. Her romantic, fantasy-inspired depictions of women were dismissed in the traditional art world, and galleries showed little interest. Rather than bending to their expectations, Lioba made a bold choice -- to follow her own path, no matter how uncertain. She found inspiration in the vibrant world of online art communities, where artists were creating the kind of work that resonated deeply with her.
Determined to carve out her own space, she dove into the world of online marketing, launched a YouTube channel, and opened her own shop. Her risk paid off. In the U.S. and worldwide, her art was embraced and even celebrated, leading to exhibitions in renowned galleries like Modern Eden, Haven Gallery, Arch Enemy Arts, and many more. She also joined an online artist collective that focuses on art auctions, finally finding the supportive and creative community she had long been searching for. This marked a turning point, allowing her to fully embrace her artistic voice and flourish.
At the Academy of Arts in Düsseldorf, rivalry and envy made me fall out of love for the art world for a long time.
~ Lioba Brückner
As the years passed and AI technology began to rise, Lioba witnessed a shift in the art world. While many artists responded with caution, viewing AI as a threat, she saw it as an exciting tool with the potential to unlock new creative horizons. However, as the debate intensified, Lioba began to feel a growing distance from the community she had once thrived in.
Their paths were naturally diverging. Rather than resist the change, she realized it was time to embrace this new chapter. With a mix of determination and curiosity, she chose to step away and help create a new community -- one where AI was seen not as something to fear, but as a powerful tool for artistic growth and collaboration.
At about the same time, author and artist Tracy Eire was winding down on her latest projects -- a master's degree, and a stint in a truly transformational online art program. As a fan of Lioba Brückner's work, she was surprised to see a major art auction launch without one of Lioba's iconic pieces. Tracy reached out to Lioba, and they discussed a new community.
It was clear to Tracy that, at a time when fears about AI were tearing her precious art community apart, the true value of an artist, the deep connections they create between themselves and the collectors, was being missed entirely.
They agreed it was the wrong time for artists to oppose one another online, breaking the hearts, and damaging the reputations of artists worldwide. Instead, the new art community needed to rise. It would be one that understood and acknowledged the value artists bring into the world. One that cleared a fun and joyful space for collectors.
Art collectors want to connect with artists. They can't cherish an AI. I know. I am a collector.
~ Tracy Eire
Heidi Moone worked as hard at writing as she did at studying writing, but she also loved taking time out to follow her favorite artists. Lately, however, she had taken notice of the dissent that filled art collectives, art forums, and socials everywhere. Artists were unhappy with one another, with writers, with creatives and non-creatives alike. It went from accusations around AI, to using tools that had begun to incorporate new technologies like AI into them, and honestly, as a collector, she really preferred the more supportive communities that had drawn her in years past.
I don't want to buy in toxic settings. Instead, we should protect artists' privacy and function like a healthy business.
~ Heidi Moone
Talking to Tracy Eire about her concerns -- as Tracy had begun thinking of forming a collective as well -- she liked that it was intended as a safe and private place for artists to gather, to learn, and to support one another. Heidi had stopped attending art auctions altogether, and felt she was drifting away from a passion she'd come to love and cherish. Getting to know the artists imbued their work with even greater meaning. People who tell stories also love to be told stories, and she believed there were still artists she'd
be able to connect with, collect from, and enjoy as she had before this cloud of conflict had fallen over the art collecting world. And so, she wanted to help build this collective for collectors like her, and artists like Tracy and Lioba.
Combining their ideas, they realized they could build a selling collective and add something of value to the art community.
In times of hardship, artists should not fight one another but work together and remind the world of the importance of artists in society. Art gave rise to the written word. Letters in the English alphabet still have direct ties to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Cave paintings some 60,000 years old survive to this day, the oldest art in world history (much of it, incidentally, created by the smaller capable hands of women). From this we know art is eternal, it is fundamental.
Artists cannot be eclipsed. They are the eclipse.
Join us.
