My new interview in the “Outlander – the fans who make it” series is with Vera Adxer (@VeraAdxer_Art/ Forasteras on Twitter). I have followed Vera for quite a while and enjoy her edits as well as her book excerpts with artwork very much.

I hope you enjoy reading about her.

• Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Veronica but my family and friends call me Vera, I’m 40 years old and I’m from the city of Mendoza, Argentina.
My father was born and raised in Barcelona and my mother is the daughter of Italians. Thanks to my paternal grandfather taking the initiative to move to Argentina, my parents were able to meet more than 50 years ago, and here I am telling my story.
I live with my parents and my three boys (dogs). I have a small family but we are very close-knit and take care of each other.
In fact, my parents follow the show and they love it. They are always  asking me what will happen next, but I don’t give them any spoilers!

I studied initially to be a school teacher, but I was never really interested in teaching. It was during that period that I decided to switch to my passion…art. I got my degree in Graphic Design and marketing at 20 years of age and worked in a few small advertising agencies in my city. I also worked at a newspaper as an editor for the design section. My vocation is art and, though I realise that it is less lucrative than the other careers I studied, I enjoy it.
I like to draw, paint (oils) and design clothing. I’m a true fashionista and like to follow fashion. I also enjoy watching series and movies.

This is me in the “Wild” state. I love the south of Argentina; my place in the world is and always will be Patagonia, Argentina, and specifically a small town called “Villa La Angostura”, where you will find the 7 best natural lakes in the world. Among them the lake “Nahuel Huapi” (in the Mapuche aboriginal language) means Island of Jaguar or Island of the lion. (approximate English translation)

• Please tell us why you are called “Forasteras” on Twitter? What does the name mean and what is it’s significance for you?

The name “Forasteras” is based on the Spanish translation of Diana’s first book, Outlander. (Outlander = Forastera)
I took the name to pay tribute to the story that helped me launch my art in the form of the edits I do.

• What made you decide to start making edits about the show? Have you done this for other shows as well?

I don’t remember when I first got the idea to make edits but I liked the show so much that, after seeing the first part of S1, I created a Facebook page called “Outlander Argentina” (after a while I called it Outlander Love & Art). At the time it was not art, but a sharing of publications from other pages. I think when I finished the first season of Outlander, I decided to start doing edits of the series and fragments of the books. These were and are very popular, so I’ve never stopped doing it.
Outlander was the starting point; these days I also do edits for other series that I follow, such as Poldark, Vikings, GoT and others.

• How many edits have you made about the Outlander show so far?

I don’t know how many edits I’ve done so far, as I’ve never had an exact number, but I think many. At the beginning, in 2014, I did the edits sporadically;  in 2015 I think I did three per day to attract followers on Twitter. Today I do one or two per week. I have changed my technique in the last two years and each edit sometimes takes two or three hours depending on the details I have.
My method has always been to choose a fragment from the books, and do the edit around that. Sometimes it’s the opposite; I do the edit first and look for a suitable fragment from the book to match it. That’s why it takes so much time to keep my pages active, but I love doing it.
My new project was to create a web page so that everyone has quicker access to my art, which I did at the request of many of the fans who enjoy my art.

Here are some samples of my edits:

This was one of the first edits that I made at the beginning of 2015.

This is one of my favorites; we were all trying to imagine what the reunion between Claire and Jamie would be like. I made this edit at the end of 2015.

Father and daughter will meet for the first time in season 4. It will be lovely to see Sophie and Sam playing these beautiful passages of Drums of Autumn.

• What do you like most about the Outlander books and show? What do you like the least?

I started reading the books to get ahead at the end of the first season. I really wanted to know what was going to happen. Of course I couldn’t stop reading till I had read them all.
I love all the books, but the expectation that Voyager generated was unique to any book I’ve read so far.
I still have my Outlander e-books on hand, I use them often for my pages. I feel that the show shows a small part of the story, but I have the books as a back up. I like the way they have summarized the third season, even though there are some important parts that have been omitted. i regret that but realise  that is also part of the show.

• Which character in Outlander is your favourite?

My favorite character is Claire. She has a strong character and her way of seeing the world is encouraging. Nothing seems to stop her. Claire and Jamie form a whole, one does not work well without the other. For me, Claire is the rational part and Jamie the emotional one. So, of course I have to choose Jamie too, as without him there would not be that warmth of home for Claire, a place where we would all like to be.

• How has Outlander affected your life and/or lifestyle?

Well, Outlander connects me with the world. A part of my life has changed drastically since I started to follow the show and make edits. I am very reserved and it is difficult for me to make friends. In fact my life is very quiet and I try to keep it that way at all times. Today I can say that, through Outlander, I have many friends with whom I communicate from all over the world and this has made me very happy.

• Have you met Diana or any of the actors of Outlander? If so, which personality did you enjoy meeting the most? If not, who would you like to meet the most?

I am not an “active” part of the fandom, and I have never been to meetings or events. But I enjoy it when my friends go to events and tell me all about them. I would say that I am always busy with creating new edits for the Outlander fandom, along with other fans.
The key personality of the fandom is Diana Gabaldon. She gives us glimpses in to the new book with her “daily lines” which create a lot of hype for it. The way she manages her social networks, and is so connected and responsive to her fans makes the fandom an interesting place. I am convinced that Sam, Cait and Diana keep our interest in the show alive all year around by staying connected to their fans even when the show is off air. They are true phenomena and I hope they continue to do this.
I hope to meet Diana if she ever visits Argentina. I would like her to sign the special book that I am designing with my edits. I hope some day to be able to donate it to some group so that it can be auctioned.

• What keeps you connected to the Outlander fandom?

Outlander is a great group of wonderful people who are always active and enthusiastic all the time. I am very happy to interact with this group. It gives me positive energy.

• What do you have coming up next?

I always have new goals. I am always working on a new project this year.
A couple of years ago I woke up with a voice in me that told me these words:
“Life awaits you as the breeze to the heath and sky to the birds.”
and that’s what I try to do every day.