FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - PATEREEVES

Just look at this beautiful butterfly!! I hope you enjoy reading the interview of this artist, and am very happy to feature her here. The beaded butterfly was one of her favorite items in her shop. Read below to see what she has to say about this work of art!

We live in the middle of 70 acres in Northwest Arkansas and these lovely butterflies flutter around our herb garden all summer. Their favorite host plants for their young is any member of the fennel family. We make sure that we have fennel in our garden just for the catapillars to munch on. They are such gorgeous butterflies that I had to try and create one to remind me of the beauty they give us every year! This butterfly was created with more than 1500 beads.

WOW, I can't imagine having the patience to create such a delicate butterfly such as that. Great job, Pat! Read below to find out more about this artist and what inspires her. Also, be sure to visit her PATEREEVES shop out on Etsy, by clicking on the links below.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

My mother was very talented at sewing and crafting and I inherited her need to create. I love the outdoors and nature in all her splendor is my inspiration?

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I love to use different mediums to create and still haven't chosen just one!

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

Creating a beautiful item that reflects nature!

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

It would have to be an artichoke. Because an artichoke has so many layers and so does my art. I do not stick to one type of art/craft, and each item that I make reveals a different layer of my personality.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

Silversmithing, I would love to learn that medium because it has such versatility!

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

You should honor the world of nature and strive to understand it.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Follow your heart and create what you love!

Pat, thanks again for sharing your thoughts, and your art with us! Happy Creating!

If you'd like to see more of Pat's work, click on the links below.

FLICKR

FEATURED ARTIST....Elena Diadenko-Hunter

I was roaming around Etsy the other day looking at all the varied art work out there, and was thrilled to f ind this very talented artist!

I contacted Elena to see if she would like to share her thoughts, ideas and art with us. Happily, she agreed to take the time to tell us about herself and her art.
The above photo is just one of her many delightful works of art! It is really hard to choose a favorite! I love the color and whimsey of it!

Read below to hear what Elena has to say about her beginnings as an artist, and to see more of her colorful work, be sure to visit her web page and Etsy shop. Her links will be below:

Elena, the "budding" young artist!

I love art so much that it is like breathing to me. I do it because I cannot live without it; I see the whole world through the eyes of an artist. My art speaks for my soul. Sometimes, it is happy and pleasing. Other times, it is sad and controversial. Always, it is colorful, unique, and imaginative. My art reflects my love of humanity, the power and beauty of women, and the confusion life brings to us.
I believe art should be very powerful and complex. Somebody once said that art imitates life. Life is complex, so why shouldn't art be? Art should encompass our emotions, experiences and beliefs. It should tell stories, protest injustices, inspire the imagination, nourish spiritually, make people think, please, amuse, inflict pain, confuse, enlighten, and sometimes anger. Everybody feels these feelings, but artists transform these feelings into paintings, sculptures, poems, movies, songs, and plays. My passion is painting. I use color, line and a variety of art methods to express myself.
I was born in Ukraine, and I started painting at the age of 2. I knew then that I wanted to become an artist. I became serious at the age of 10. Between the ages of 11 and 22, I attended 3 specialized art schools, which were very rigorous, but they made an artist out of me. What I learned primarily from my education in the former Soviet Union is that there are 3 aspects to becoming a great artist: great technique, creativity, and years of hard work.

What led you to start creating your art?

As long as I remember myself being a child, I always wanted to be an artist, and that desire never stoped inside of me.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I choose my medium depending on the theme of my work.

What aspect of creating your art do you find the most enjoyable?

I enjoy when people understand what I am trying to say through my work.

If you had to choose a fruit or a vegetable to describe your work, what would it be and why? (this is a crazy little question I put in)

It would be a kaledoscope, because I can not stop at one particular style of work, I love variety.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art?

Every painting has its own message.

What advice do you have for other artists?

Be creative, learn from others and produce your own unique art.

ELENA'S WEB PAGE