Treasury for my SHARD OF ORIENT PENDANT!

My SHARD OF ORIENT Pendant has been featured in a beautiful Treasury that seems just made for me :)! A really inspiring and artful Treasury by Pixel Wild Child, named "A Day by the Sea..."! Thank you dear Cristina, my pendant is really happy to be in its original environment!

My favorite artists: PIXEL WILD CHILD

It's always great to meet lovely artists on Etsy! Today I want to share a few of my favorite illustrations by Pixel Wild Child, who's one of my favorite Etsy artists! I really love ALL of her art, but here are some of my absolute favorites. I love the idea and message that stands behind many of her works. To me they are a hymn to life and joy, and a celebration of the beauty and strength in each woman!
The artist behind Pixel Wild Child is visual artist Cristina from Barcelona, who lives in Athens. She is a talented designer and illustrator who in her artwork is mostly inspired by female beauty and female behavior and concerns. These are a few illustrations that are particularly close to my heart and meaningful to me.

Its Only Love (It will not kill you)

Just Dream

Love is So Short (Tan Corto El Amor) - Pablo Neruda Quote

Rebellious at Heart

And I absolutely love Cristina's lovely character "Sleepless Sally" (is that ME??? :))). Cristina describes Sally as “a shy and not very social girl of unknown age. She is sensitive and also very creative. She wants to regain her ability to sleep and in her wild dreams she wishes to become a famous actress. Her lack of sleep makes her fantasize and daydream about herself in implausible situations. Summing up it can be said that she is an adorable creature.”

Bad Sleep Sally and Her Pink Vespa

Bad Sleep Sally in a Glamourous Photoshot

Bad Sleep Sally Loves the Rain

Sally in London

You can find Pixel Wild Child's great art in her Etsy shop. And you can find out more about her art and her colorful world in her lovely blog, it's really worth reading!

New in my Etsy Shop: AEGEAN SEA SHELL PENDANTS

I just added these pendants to my Etsy shop! I made them with sea shells I picked on the beaches of my beloved island of Rhodes, Greece. I painted them with acrylic colors and decorated them with wire and glass beads.

Sea Beauties

Sea Beauties

These are a few pictures of the beach and sea in wintertime... The summer haze has given way to a wonderful clearness and the view towards the Turkish coast of Anatolia is spectacular. So many wonderful memories and parts of my life are linked to Rhodes... My sweet Zoe comes from there too!

MORE SUNS!

As you can see from my work, I love the SUN and I love SUNS as a motif for my jewelry, often combined with the spiral symbol! So here are a few more sunny rings, pendants and a brooch from my production! Enjoy!

AEGEAN SUN 3 Polymer Clay and Copper Ring

AEGEAN SUN Polymer Clay and Copper Brooch

AEGEAN SUN 2 Polymer Clay and Copper Ring

TILOS SUN Mixed Media Ring

RODOS Mixed Media Ring

AEGEAN SUN Polymer Clay Sun on Ceramic Shard Pendant

SUNNY HEART 1 Mixed Media Art Pendant

SUNNY HEART 2 Mixed Media Art Pendant

LARGE ORANGE SUN Polymer Clay Pendant

ORANGE SUN Polymer Clay Ring

Treasury for my SUNBLAZE RING!

Another one of my sunny rings has been featured in a beautiful and... sunny Treasury! This time it's my SUNBLAZE 1 ring, made with one of my gorgeous findings: an amazing sun made with colorful layers of resin and twisted yellow-coated wire for the rays. Great Treasury named "Sunshine from Europe" by roroism. (By the way, have you noticed I LOVE SUNS as a motif for my jewelry? ;)))

FIRE Treasury!

My handpainted wood ring Sunflower has been featured in a wonderful Treasury named "The 2nd Element... Fire!!!"! Great Treasury by NoniBam, dedicated to the element Fire and the wonderful color orange (I LOVE ORANGE!!! It's so full of life, passion and energy! And in my latest production this color has been very present!)

PAINTED OLIVE WOOD RINGS

One of my latest passions in creating jewelry is to make painted rings on wood! I had five beautiful olive wood tiles from a French vintage bracelet and they were perfect for eye-catching handpainted rings! The four holes give them an original look, and the texture in the olive wood is so beautiful! I only painted the front of the pieces so as to show the natural beauty of the wood. I used acrylic paints and varnish, and I added copper sheet and aluminum sheet details to achieve a really unique look.
As so often in my work, I was inspired by the Greek Islands of the Aegean... And as I wrote in my shop description, "this is a tribute to my love for the Islands"!

The first three rings are inspired by hot summer days... Island Sun is my symbol and avatar, I really love it, and it's really a part of my heart!

Island Sun

Sun in My Heart 1

Sun in My Heart2

The next two rings were inspired by the colors of the Aegean Sea in wintertime...

Our 2 Moons

Silvery Sea

Artist Interview: SHEBBO DESIGN

My first artist interview takes us to the magical, mesmerizing city of Istanbul, where the East and West meet in a unique, fascinating blend. Sebnem is a talented Turkish artist who works under her own brand Shebbo Design. She paints wonderful art on porcelain, rocks and stones, and her artwork is both decorative and functional. Her artwork reflects her many deep interests and her cultural roots.

Here she shares her artistic journey and inspiration with us!

Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture - Tile Wall Panel

- How did you first come to art and creativity? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?

Drawing and painting was my biggest passion in my childhood. I had loved to make charcoal drawings and oil paintings until I started the university. I was drawing & painting even on my school desks in my primary and high school days.

After long years in business life, I gave a break to my career in the middle of 2008 for refreshment. Then eventually, I embraced my painting passion again by listening to my heart!

Contra Love of Dandelions - Handpainted Bowl Set of 2

- When and how did you realize this was your real life path?

If you read "Alchemist" from Paulo Coelho, main character Santiago decides to follow his heart and go in search of his treasure; he travels on new roads, experiences a lot of adventures... And at the end he finds his treasure where his journey began... He realized his real treasure lies at his starting point :-) I am like Santiago... After long years and a lot of experiences, I realized that painting passion is my real treasure!

Sweet Fawn - 3D Handpainted Stone

- What are your main sources of inspiration?

I am mostly inspired by animals and nature, and of course life... Everything can give me inspiration :-)

Colorful Pansies in my Basket - Handpainted Stone Decor

- How has life affected your art and life affected your art?

Every single day is a kind of rebirth, we are all part of this unlimited dynamic flow... My art nourishes my each rebirth process, and my life cycle, my emotions nourish my art... My art is a reflection of my life, my affection and feelings.

Pets 3d Stone Painting

- We share a big love for animals, how do you express this in your artwork?

Yes, animals... The most beautiful creatures in the world... If I wish I could save all helpless animals all over the world! As a cat mother [of sweet kitty boy Pasha, see above], I especially like to paint cats on my designs. I love their curiosity, intelligence and sensitivity... I adore whole felines :-)

And I love dolphins, seals and other magical sea creatures... As you see in my designs, I mostly paint animals on my mugs, bowls, rocks and stone decors... I usually try to give "save, care and love animals and stop cruelty to them!" message with my artwork... God Bless Them!

Pets 3D Stone Painting

- Art is about light and color! What are your favorite colors?

I really can't differentiate the colors... I use all colors, I love all... Colors are limitless as our creativeness and imagination!

Traditional Turkish-Ottoman Tile Art Bird Pattern - Original Handpainted Porcelain Vase

 - How has traditional Turkish and Ottoman art influenced your work?

As you know, we have a great era of Ottoman and Anatolian Iznik Traditional Turkish Pottery and Tile Art designs. Even though I usually prefer to paint modern minimalist free style designs, I really love our Great classic Iznik-Anatolian Pottery masterpieces. I sometimes really like to reinterpret our classic Iznik-Anatolian designs in a modern way...

Vintage Design Oriental Ring - Handpainted Stone Ring

- Did you have a formal training in the arts or attend art courses?

I attended Porcelain Painting and Decoration Art course in 2008-2009 at Caferaga Medresesi (traditional Turkish Art school which was built 450 years ago by Sinan the Architect beside the famous Hagia Sofia).

Whirling Dervishes are making Sama on the Blue Sky - Handpainted Stone Decor

- Do you have a studio or home studio or particular corner in your house you have devoted to your artwork? Where do you paint your artwork?

Yes we have a separate painting studio close to our home. It is impossible to paint porcelain 'cause of thinner smelling at home  :-) We hired a very small place as our working studio with my sister (my sister Sule accompanies me on porcelain painting art). All my paints, brushes, materials, books etc. are there.

Art Nouveau Reproduction of Fruit, Alphonse Mucha - Onglaze Handpainted Tile Wall Decor 

- Among your paintings there are wonderful reproductions of Alfons Mucha's artwork. Is the Czech Art Nouveau artist (1860-1939) one of your favorite artists? (By the way, I love his art too!)

Yess, Alphonse Mucha is one of my favorite artists! He was a great Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist!

Thank you!

Thank YOU dear Sebnem for this beautiful and inspiring interview, and for sharing your artistic journey and inspiration! We wish you lots of happiness and success in your life and with your art.

And... by the way, it's your birthday tomorrow, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear Sebnem! AUGURI!!!

Wild Blue Butterfly - Original 3D Handpainted Stone Decor

You can find Shebbo Design at her Etsy shop, it's really worth visiting! And you can get to know more about her work on her website and in her blog.

©AnnukCreations