Meet Etsy Artist: annyschoo

Anny (shu hua) grew up in Taiwan, "a beautiful island." Not surprisingly, a lot of her pieces display an Asian flair. She studied sewing in high school and worked as a teacher for 10 years before becoming a stay at home Mom. "I started to make fabric toys for my daughter to play with," she explains. Last year she moved to Colorado with her family, which inspired her to bring her creativity into fruition. "I love to make cute things," she admits, "practical items for homes and my daughter. But I really LOVE making Asian inspired things." She is fascinated with ancient history and folk art. Her Etsy shop is still just a hobby for now, as she's chosen to devote her time to raising her daughter. "I am grateful to have Etsy as a place to expose my handmade ideas and see what that will lead to." She says Etsy is a great place to meet like minded artists and believes everyone should try their hand at making something. "(When) we create something the process and value is just amazing. We make the world beautiful with handmade." Please check out her shop: http://annyschoo.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Casting Call: Need new artists to profile...

Namaste! As I get ready for my trip to India and Nepal I want to prewrite artist features to cover the days I'm away. If you make something by hand - be it art, jewelry, or even every day items - let me know. I just may feature you and your art. Please note that due to the number of submissions I may not be able to feature everyone...Please send submissions to dharmadesigns@yahoo.com.
Thanks,
Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com

Meet Etsy Artist: RayofCreation

Tandi is part of the nonprofit art collective known as RayofCreation. This talented group of artists from New Mexico make a wide range of crafts in hopes of spreading peace and love. "I've always been involved in arts and crafts, starting at home with a 'crafty' Mom and an 'always-building-something' Dad," Tandi admits, "then in college I found myself drawn to design and majored in architecture." Like many of us, she wasn't particularly interested in the "9-5 business life." Instead, she travelled around the world, visiting India, Thailand, Nepal, and Europe. She found herself drawn to spirituality. "I found that meditation and a Buddhist perspective seemed to fit me the best, and spent some time practicing Vipassana." Originally from the Northwest, after years of travelling she eventually found herself in the Southwest. "I came here for the sunshine and found a really great community quite unexpectedly." She finds inspiration in "textures and colors, how the material feels in my hand, it's qualities in light. With papers, I love to spend time just laying different pieces next to each other to see how they interact and blend. With gemstones, there is the vibe of each stone, plus how the light passes through...Each piece I work on is really about creating a feel that will give the intended impression...often I find myself going for qualities like being harmonious, beautiful, calming, balanced, and subtle." All of these aspects are beautifully showcased in her earthy, natural style - from her cards to her jewelry. "For me crafting is a way to take a break from everything, enjoy the moment, and just practice seeing and creating without any pressure. It's a pleasure." Please check out her shop: http://rayofcreation.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: Nguyen Van Gio courtessy of his niece Alicia

The other day I stumbled across some amazingly heartfelt renditions and portraits of real life in Vietnam. Each piece is not just a portrait or still life, but a window to another world, another time. "My uncle is the real artist," Alicia says of the Etsy shop she created to showcase her uncle's work. "I am just posting his art on Etsy because I admire his art." Nguyen Van Gio lives in Vietnam and often creates his beautiful works on rice paper. He graduated from the Ecole National Superior des Beaux Arts (Superior National School of Fine Arts) in 1968 and his work can be seen in many galleries in homeland as well as the Etsy shop his niece created for him. Please check out his work: http://alicianguyen.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/