THE WINNER OF THE "GLASS FLOWER SUNCATCHER" from DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS is..................

CATHY H.

of

Johnson City, TN

Cathy's name was randomly selected out of the 71 entries received for this giveaway, as the winner of the above large, gold glass suncatcher shown above. The winner had the option to select any suncatcher of their choice from Bonnie's shop on Etsy - DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS.  Cathy selected the beautiful suncatcher above.

THANKS again to all those who participated in this wonderful giveaway!  All of the comments were appreciated very much.

DZFANTASY's giveaways can always be found in the upper right column of this blog.  All you need to do is "CLICK" on the giveaway's photo to get to the giveaway post.

FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS

GLASS ART ROUND In The Beginning
by
Bonnie Donahue

CLICK on above photo to learn more about this stunning piece of art!

WELCOME, Bonnie, and her Etsy shop, DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS. I am so happy that Bonnie "hearted" my DZFANTASY shop, as otherwise I might not have met her. Bonnie is not only a very talented artist, but a truly delightful person as well.

You really must visit DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS to discover for yourself, her amazing glass creations!

Bonnie has also generously decided to have a "WINNER'S CHOICE" giveaway for one of her beautiful "suncatchers". I will be sponsoring this giveaway here on DZFANTASY, so be sure to enter.

GLASS SUNCATCHER Large Plum Flower

CLICK on photo to learn more about this beautiful suncatcher!

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I’ve been playing with art, crafts, music, writing, dance and drama for most of my life. As a kid, I enjoyed making dollhouse furniture and dolls more than actually playing with them. I spent much of my time alone and in nature. Nature continues to inspire and amaze me and I’ve always thought of myself as nature in human form (in spite of the prevailing western world view of dominating nature). In pondering this question, my sense is that it’s this great love and feeling of gratitude for the gift of life that compels me to create. You can only stand so much of that before it just has to come out.


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

Glass grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. The brilliance, transparency and luminosity of glass touches something very deep and powerful in me. What, exactly that is, is hard to say. I think there is a good reason why working with glass has become so popular at this time. My sense is that this expresses the drive of our collective human spirit to break through its self imposed limitations and allow our inner brilliance to shine! It sounds good to me, anyway.


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

One of the reasons I’ve stayed with glass as long as I have (12 Years!) is because I enjoy all the processes of creating it. I can make two dimensional as well as three dimensional pieces. I am able to create tremendous sculptural dimension by fusing pieces at lower temperatures. I enjoy making my own molds for casting and for slumping glass. I enjoy figuring out how to make something that no one has done before. I enjoy teaching glass classes. I really don’t think that it is possible to exhaust the possibilities of creating with glass. I’m never bored with glass.


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

I would have to choose the blueberry because it’s my favorite fruit. It is so squishy, tasty and pretty, and it is oh so good for you.


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

My next most favorite medium of expression is improvisational movement and sound. It allows the whole of me to participate in the expression of whatever the moment calls for. I’ve always been more drawn to movement rather than dance and to sound rather than music. The raw, direct expression really appeals to me. And so it follows that I’m drawn to “authentic” expression regardless of the media used. Naive or “outsider” art especially appeals to me.


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

Rather than conveying a message per se, my greatest hope is to spark, encourage and support that inner spirit common to us all. That seems to be something that naturally comes out of me when I teach glass classes. It may be obvious, but the media used is a dim secondary concern for me than the encouragement of the spirit.


What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Have the courage to follow your deepest inner promptings regardless of where that may seem to lead you. Have the courage to be true to what feels deeply true for you. You may be lonely and unpopular at times, but the long term benefits far outweigh any short term detriments.

Bonnie, thank you not only for sharing your gorgeous creations with everyone, but for a wonderful interview. Also, thank you for your generous giveaway of one of your delightful "suncatchers".

CLICK on the link below to enter Bonnie's suncatcher giveaway post.

 

SUNCATCHER GIVEAWAY

Be sure to visit DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS by clicking on the links below.

SNEAK PREVIEW ... 3 Great new giveaways coming soon to DZFANTASY

Large Glass "FLOWER SUNCATCHER"

by

Bonnie of Donahue Design Glass

DZFANTASY is going to be having 3 great giveaways coming on September 14th, so be sure to stop back to find out how you can enter and have a chance to win one of these great prizes.

I will be hosting 2 of the giveaways from other Etsy artists, and one of my own.

Here is a sneak preview of what these giveaways will be.

DONAHUE DESIGN GLASS: Bonnie, a talented glass artist on Etsy is having a "Winner's Choice" of any one of her beautiful glass suncatchers. (See photo above) Winner will be able to select from any suncatcher in her shop at the end of the giveaway.

I have two of Bonnie's suncatchers, and I can tell you they are absolutely gorgeous!

SID'S IN STITCHES: Sid has had two other giveaways here on DZFANTASY, and I'm thrilled to have her back. Sid will be giving away another one of her fun, colorful tote bags, so be sure to stop back and enter!

BRIGHT PATCHWORK CHARMER TOTE - IT'S REVERSIBLE!

by SID of SID'S IN STITCHES

Tiny, laying style fairy!

by DZFANTASY

My DZFANTASY giveaway will be a little different from my past givaways. I will be having a WINNER'S CHOICE GIFT CERTIFICATE worth $50.00. WINNER will have their choice of selecting item/s from my shop up to a $50.00 value, OR they can apply the $50.00 gift certificate to a higher priced creation in my shop. Their choice! The pink little fairy shown above is listed in my shop for $49.00.

DON'T FORGET NOW...COME BACK ON SEPTEMBER 14TH AND ENTER THESE GREAT GIVEAWAYS!

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - BUDDA KITTY GLASS

Purple and red swirl bowl with dichroic dots

I am always amazed at all the different talents out on Etsy and the variety of artistic mediums one can find. I'm happy to have Steena and her BUDDA KITTY GLASS shop as a featured artist here on DZFANTASY. It is quite interesting to see the colors and shapes of glassware that Steena creates. I love the swirls and colors in the bowl pictured above. Be sure to visit BUDDA KITTY GLASS, to see what other delightful creations Steena has to offer.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

My first trip to Europe triggered my fascination with glass. I was amazed by the stained glass windows in the cathedrals. After returning from Europe, I began to take classes in stained glass and glass bead making. From there I pursued fused glass and fell in love with the process and the beautiful art that can be made in a kiln.

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

I have worked with many mediums in art throughout my life, but glass is by far my favorite. Its versatility and wide array of colors is wonderful to work with.

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

I love watching the changes in glass as heat is applied to it. Glass has amazing textures and vibrancy, which firing in a kiln enhances.

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

I think a fruit salad because it has many colors and textures similar to glass.

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

I would love to learn how to paint on glass.

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

I would like people to see my work and develop an appreciation for the rich and diverse art of working with glass.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Make the art you like, not what you think will “sell.” Art made from the heart is so much better and will find its audience.

Steena, thanks again for taking the time to give us a bit of an "insight" as to what got you started as an artist, and to share your beautiful glass creations with with everyone.

You can see more of Steena's work by clicking on the links below.

FACEBOOK