Kelli Graves' love affair with stained glass began several years ago, after a shoulder injury prohibited her from becoming a potter. A simple visit to the cathedrals of Paris sparked her interest - and after an Adult Education class in the craft she was "hooked like a trout on the line." Inspiration can come from anywhere. "I love color," she admits, "in general; intense, saturated, rich or subtle, it doesn't matter, color is a visual feast for me." She has a soft spot for patterns as well - especially tapestries, batiks, and henna art. "I love the play of light (I almost called my blog by that name), the way it filters through clouds, sprinkles through the leaves of a tree. The patterns and shifts of light from a coming storm, or approaching thunderhead. The soft, caressing light of dawn, and the brilliant, aggressive light of sundown." Artistic, even as a child, she remembers drawing "big fancy Jessica McClintock dresses." Eventually she moved on to gardening and picture framing - and even jewelry design. She had an interest in glass arts since high school, but never really pursued her love until the fateful trip to Paris. "I became completely obsessed with it," she explains. "It satisfies all my creative needs, from finding or making the pattern, to color and texture selection, to the detail of cutting and forming the puzzle pieces of the glass, to joining it all together, for that final glorious moment when you can lift the completed piece up to the light and discover the true character of what you have been imagining." While her art is just a hobby at this point (she is a skincare therapist by day), she admits that trying to turn it into a business "sucked the majority of the joy out of it." For that reason alone, she has resisted selling her creative works, even to friends and family. Only now is she allowing herself to get her name out there because she has so many ideas for projects - and nowhere to hang them all. "So I make them, enjoy them for a bit, and then offer them for sale to my friends - and now the world at large via Etsy." Please check out her Etsy shop: http://glasswench.etsy.com/ and blog: http://glasswench.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Meet Etsy Artist: glasswench
Friday, March 6, 2009
Meet Etsy Artist: metalwork
Aside from creating beautiful zen inspired home decor and furniture from copper, Tom Petrilli is also a roofing contractor. Most of his art displayed on Etsy was created in the slow winter months when work as a roofer slows to a screeching halt. "On most projects we have scrap metal left over, it always bothered me to see these shiny beautiful pieces of copper crushed and sent off the scrap yard, so I started making little things out of the remnants," he explains of his artistic beginning. "It started with really simple stuff like ashtrays (event though almost everyone I know has quit), birdhouses (they are all vacant and I can’t figure out why), and useless but lovely little boxes," he jokes. "I would give some of the stuff to clients if they paid their bill in a timely manner, some people really liked it, but I think most of the time my gifts would wind up in the back of their garage." Thankfully he kept at it. In fact, a large part of his inspiration came from a classified ad for a lot of old tools. "I love old tools," he admits. "When I saw what the man had to sell I bought everything he had. They were all sheet metal forming machines, cranked by hand, they make curves, beads and edges and they are all at least 150 years old. I wanted to put the machines back to work, despite their age they perform flawlessly." Although it took some time to learn how to use them with the aid of 90 year old books, he has developed quite a knack. Oddly enough, being a roofer has helped him as an artist - and vice versa. "I've been roofing for 17 years, almost every house has a weird little corner or oddly placed chimney that requires a creative solution to keep the building dry. The copper smithing work has made me a better roofer and roofing has made me a better coppersmith." His copper tables are generating interest, so although this is just a secondary job, he hopes to transition over to it one day. "For now this is my job http://www.lyonscontracting.com/ and I’m very happy to do it," he says. As for Etsy, he says the "real payoff is when someone writes to tell me how much they love something I’ve made." He admits that "when I’ve finished a roofing project and the client just gushes about how much they love the work we’ve done, about how beautiful it came out; that is a thousand times more satisfying then getting their final payment." He half-jokingly added, "I still need the check though; I can’t pay my mortgage with compliments." Please check out his shop: http://metalwork.etsy.com/
Friday, January 9, 2009
Meet Etsy Artist & Seamstress: robinseggpink
Aside from being an Etsy artist, Angela is a busy Mom to daughter Maya. Although they live in Toronto, Canada, they travelled to the ends of the earth - Jiangxi, China - adopt Maya in 2007. "It was the best thing I've ever done in my life," she gushes. "Sleep... is a thing of the past... but then, that's what coffee is for." The exotic journey had a profound effect on her and she is now drawn to images that reflect serenity such as lotus and cherry blossoms ("even the word 'sakura' is beautiful"). Her home is her "sanctuary," a sea of watery blues and calming neutrals. Before Etsy she worked in the health care industry for 12 years until she finally decided to change her career path to follow her dreams. "I loved the people I worked with and I loved my patients, but each day of those twelve years was 'work' for me," she explains. Her heart may have been in it, but her soul yearned for something. "My 'aha moment' was more like a 'slow nudge,'" she jokes. "It took 10 years for me to take the necessary steps to turn my 'dreams' into my reality. Not a fast process, but for me it was a necessary one, and I have never looked back with regret" She believes we are each born with talents - gifts - that make us unique, although it may take the majority of us awhile to discover what they are. As a child she used to cut up her mother's embroidered pillow-cases (wedding gifts) and make them into camisoles. "I was 7 years old at the time," she says. "Now, at 44 I'm still 'cutting things up' and loving every minute of it." She admits that the idea for her gorgeous lotus pillow came to her as she was nodding off to sleep. "Keeping paper and pen on the nightstand works wonders for me." Please check out her shop: http://robinseggpink.etsy.com/. A portion of the net proceeds from her sales on Etsy and her own site (http://robinseggpink.com/) will be given to two wonderful organizations : The Hospital for Sick Children, and the Ontario Humane Society.
-Wendy Baylis
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Meet Etsy Jewelry Artist: Hint
Beth is "drawn to images of the natural world and universal myths." She studied Art History and has worked as a curator of ancient art, and admits most of her "imagery comes from looking at Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Asian art." She is also interested in patterns found in nature that are artistically integrated into textiles. She describes her craft as "creating universal stories in metal." She doesn't just make jewelry, but keepsakes she hopes are cherished like precious mementos. "People have described my artistic style as the Wild West meets the Far East," she laughs. "I try to infuse my jewelry with the rustic atmosphere of the American West and the simplicity of Asian design." She's been a sculptor for over 20 years and only recently began creating jewelry. "I had been looking for a media that would allow me to work in miniature and create objects that were intimately connected to the body and sensuality. I wanted people to be able to touch and hold my sculptures." Etsy provides her with a way "to connect with kindred spirits and celebrate creativity." She recommends fellow artists "create what you love not what you think people will like, and allow others an opportunity to gravitate towards that beauty. Continue to define and refine your vision based on your internal voice." Please check out her shop: http://hint.etsy.com/
Friday, October 31, 2008
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/
Monday, March 31, 2008
A beautiful surprise from CrankBunny...
Monday, March 24, 2008
Meet Etsy Metalsmith & Jewelry Artist: aloka
Lakshmi Sonbuchner, the talented artist behind Aloka, is also a medical student living in New York City. Aside from creating her elegant designs, she manages to find time to work on her PhD, researching the organism that causes malaria. "I enjoy science and medicine, but I also need a creative outlet, and that happens to be jewelry design and metalsmithing. I love the fact that I can manipulate a flat piece of metal into a 'supple' flower, and, of course, I like playing with torches," she jokes. Starting Aloka was not only a way to showcase her work, but also to give back to those in need. "Any profit that I make from the shop will be donated to Asha for Education (ashanet.org), which sets up and funds basic educational projects for the underprivileged in India," she explains. In fact her own Indian heritage has been a profound source of inspiration to her. "I draw from images you would commonly see in India -- flora, fauna, and the swirly script of the Indian languages. I want to achieve a look that is sleek and modern, at the same time evoking a sense of the exotic. Indian fashion is known for being ornate and colorful -- I like to take details from Indian textiles and ancient buildings, focus on the basic lines and shapes and incorporate them into chic designs." While she has only been metalsmithing for two years, she is serious about her hobby. "I run my shop as if it's my 'job', just on a smaller scale." She hopes to make enough of a profit in the next year to donate at least $500 to Asha for Education. Please check out her shop: http://aloka.etsy.com/
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