FATuesday Artist Spotlight #52

My darling Sissy Clytie pointed out that, at 52 weeks, FATuesday Artist  Spotlight is exactly one year old.  A HUGE thank you to all the incredibly amazing artists who have inspired me this past year.  I am the person who is honored to feature YOU. 

I created Featured Art Tuesday Artist Spotlight, to showcase inspiring Artists and to provide a forum for all Artists to share their work with one another -- this includes every type of medium, sculpture, cooking, beading, watercolour, restoring vintage cars, pen and ink, oils, gardening, interior decorating, photography and crafts, including drama, writing and poetry. 

The list goes on and on. 
 

Each one of us is creative in one way, or another -- FATuesday Artist Spotlight celebrates the creativity found in every person. 

To join us for FATuesday, link up at the bottom of the page. 

I first became acquainted with Anna Vanover through recommendations from some of my art friends.  What an incredible artist!  Her work is realistic, yet beautifully whimsical.  Anna's charming artwork inspires me.  I love the amazing amounts of personality she puts into her subjects!  Her humor is wonderful!

Anna writes, “I create when I am happy - I am happy when I create.  Perhaps this sums up who I am as a person.  Those who know me well might say that more often than not you can find me with a paint brush in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, and one or more furry friends within arm’s reach.  These are the times that I am the most content.”  Ah, I can SO relate!

You can find her wonderful artwork at  Anna Vanover Studio. You can also find her work on Facebook, at The Art of Anna Vanover.

I have never seen bottle lamps like these.  When I found them, I was amazed and inspired by their sheer beauty and creativity of the artist, Songbird.  Each of her pieces is uniquely gorgeous.  She collects the bottles from a local town pub, then cleans and strips them of labels.  She drills a small hole near the bottom, then uses tissue paper or crepe, to decorate the bottles. These wonderful lamps have a lovely glow which cannot be achieved with traditional lighting.  I have never seen anything like them before!

Songbird writes, “I started making bottle lamps at the urging of my husband. I really did not want to take the time and effort needed, but after the first bottle was made and I could see how unique and pretty it was, I have not stopped making them. I believe that I need to be a good steward of this beautiful country in which I am privileged live, so keeping glass out of the landfills makes sense to me.”

To see more of these unusually lovely lamps, visit Songbird's Bottle Lamps.  Happily you can purchase these lamps through her Shop! 

I was perusing Etsy and found these amazing masks.  They are created by a husband and wife team, Tom and Jill Banwell.  Made of lightweight  leather, some of these pieces are delicately lovely--like something I would draw.  Others are simply fun--adding whimsical ears, or noses to the face of the wearer.  I was SO inspired by the artistry I saw.  It is interesting to note that the beautiful mask pictured above was worn by Lois Lane in Smallville!

Tom writes, “My wife Jill and I live in Penn Valley, California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It’s a rural area and we have my studio under the house. I get to enjoy watching the deer and other wildlife traipse by the window, which provides a relaxing atmosphere in which to be creative.” 

You can view these incredibly fanciful pieces of art Tom Banwell Designs.  Happily, you can also purchase these extraordinary masks from their shop.
 

I had the wonderful experience of meeting this talented lady recently in Spokane Valley, Washington.  Sitting in her gorgeous living room with it's stone fireplace--walls complete with tapestries, richly appointed wall hangings and gorgeous artwork, I felt SO privileged.  It was like I was in a castle. 

Susan is one of the most creative people I've ever met.  She works with home schooled children and their parents, producing filmed classes for homeschoolers on subjects, such as integrating art into history and how to write a mystery story!  She has a huge closet of marvelous costumes and her creativity, when putting together sets and props for her classes, is boundless.  I was so impressed with her interesting ideas and happy enthusiasm.  Susan is not only a talented writer, fabulous teacher and extraordinarily talented artist, she is thoughtful and kind--a truly beautiful person both inside and out. 
 

Susan writes, “…my classes are very animated, and I often wear costumes, yes, even when I teach writing! I try to make everything come alive! You will notice that my articles pack in a lot of ideas, because I know how precious your time is.”  

To see the amazing variety of classes she has to offer, visit Susan Evans, Homeschool Resources.  Happily, her audio and video workshops and a myriad of wonderful ideas are available on her website, too! 

At first glance, I thought the photographer above, Lori Grimmett, was standing in a snow bank!  Amazing--that is actually sea foam.   I was touched and inspired by her enchanting photography.  The grace, beauty and magnificence of her work is unparalleled.  A photographer once said God created moments just as he was ready to click the shutter.  Lori's photography has that kind of supernatural quality about it.  I want to see the world that way, too. 

Lori’s goal is to “…encourage her viewers to see God in all of creation, to view the world in surprising and magnificent ways they never expected, and to pass that inspiration on to others.”  She has succeeded!

To see more of this gifted photographer's work, visit Lori Grimmett Photography.

If you would like to take part in FATuesday Artist Spotlight:

*Blog the art you want to share.

* Don't forget to leave your link on Linky tools on this page.

* Visit other artists who have left their links.

* Leave a comment when you visit each artist's page.

(We artists need to encourage each other!)

* Add a link back to FATuesday in your blog entry.