THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Each young woman who is deeply in love with her soul mate has one Big Dream: sharing her life, her plans and her family with the man she wants to grow old with. Sandra couldn't. This young, lovely woman with the sweetest smile, this wife, mother, friend and artist I deeply admire (she has been one of my Artist Interviews) has recently lost her soul mate, the love of her life, her husband, best friend and father to their 5-year-old boy to cancer. 

Duarte was only 40 years young when cancer ripped him out from Sandra's and their little son's life after a short battle against the disease. Just before Christmas. Dreams broken. A young mother left with the greatest grief imaginable (if ever we can imagine it), devastated emotionally, and left with a small son and without a fixed income. In the darkest moment of grief, Sandra has to face the enormous burden of being without the financial means to ensure her and her little boy an income. Sandra is a wonderful ceramic artist, and her only source of income is her Etsy shop Azulado. Portugal, a country going through a deep financial crisis, isn't able to grant a young widow financial support. At least not yet, not now, not in this very moment of desperate need. 

Sandra is a member of a wonderful Team on Etsy, the European Street Team. This wonderful Team has joined hands to support Sandra in this moment of desperate need, which we cannot even imagine in its sheer cruelty. Over 50 of Sandra's team mates have donated their handmade work, which is going for the prizes you can win in a raffle organized by the Team. Each ticket in this raffle costs only 5$ (about 4€)! The more tickets are sold, the more financial support will go to Sandra and her little son! Each and every penny from the sale of the tickets will go to Sandra and her little son. Other ways to join this wonderful act of kindness are buying a piece of handmade ceramic art from Sandra's shop Azulado, or sharing this initiative on any social network or your blog. Please read the details here. We cannot take away Sandra's pain, but we can take away some of her worries, helping her out in these first terrible moments. You can read Sandra's moving words on her blog, where she shares her pain and the inner joy the love she is feeling from her unknown friends is bringing into her heart, giving her new hope and light in these dark moments.

My heartfelt thanks to the Etsy European Street Team for this amazing initiative of love and support (I am very proud to be a part of this great Team!), and to all of you who can contribute. THANK YOU.

Artist Interview: AZULADO

Welcome to my August Artist Interview! I'm pleased to share with you one of my favorite artists' amazing work! My new interview takes me to Portugal, where I meet Sandra Rosa, a talented artist who works under her own brand Azulado. She creates wonderful and colorful pottery work that is absolutely unique in both shape and inspiration. Her artwork is both functional and decorative, and I'm in love with the colors and glazes Sandra is able to achieve, and as I am a lover of unique jewelry, her wearable art is real eye-candy to me!
Here she shares her artistic journey and inspiration with us!

Serenity

- How did you choose the lovely name for your Etsy Shop, Azulado?

My work in ceramics began with the restoration of antique Portuguese tiles, more specifically in the area of painting, my time was spent in a lot of blues experiences in order to find the color most identical to the original, then it’s the word that I probably more pronounced in a day's work. Bluish is its translation. When I created the store it was the first name I thought and so it remained.

Spring Garden

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

Creating has always been part of my life. As a child I loved creating and building new stuff. I do not know what is being bored not knowing what to do since I always have new ideas and want to do new things, whether at home decorating, with my clothes, etc., etc. Love creating, building, anything that has to do with making by hand, painting, sewing, modeling...
I studied in art school and I specialize in restoration and preservation of old Portuguese tiles and earthenware. It was with the tiles that I embarked for ceramics. Pottery is a world ever since I continue to learn, to explore.
How I wish I had more time to do all the projects I have in the area of ceramics, with time I'll get there.

Precious Garden

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

To pay for my studies, my first assignment was in office. At that point I knew I could not take a job where creativity was not present. I guess I was lucky, because my second job was in a museum school, that was when I started working with restoration and since then I never stopped.

Feeling The Sea

- What are your main sources of inspiration?

All my work is based on the observation of simple and beautiful things that surround us, especially in nature. I always look at either the most basic forms or I simplify the most complex, I try to transpose the simple harmony of the flowers for the daily life with images attractive to all senses. Working with clay allows me to somehow paint in three dimensions, that is how I see my work in jewelry.

In My Secret Garden...

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

I think that life and art are intertwined, growing together, they adapt to one another. If we do not evolve, this does not provide us with new knowledge and experiences to our life, it stagnates, and the same goes with art. I make my living but life also makes me me, and this is reflected in what I create.

Sunshine

- You also do conservation and restoration work, can you tell us a little about it?

I do mainly restoration of tiles. In Portugal we have a great heritage in this area. Of course, like everything they need to be preserved. The weather (rain and heat), salinity and sometimes vandalism are the main causes of degradation of the tiles. What I do is deal with what can still be treated (clean up, consolidate, desalination, etc.) and rebuild what has been lost so you can return a reading of the drawing and leave it for future generations (requires much study, sometimes even with the help of art historians).
I have done several works in this area in Portugal and Brazil.
It is very interesting!

Ocean Wave

- How does your home country and in particular Portuguese art and your country’s well known ceramic tradition influence your work?

The Portuguese ceramics was my teacher :)
There are many influences, part of me, huh?
Of course I went for a rather different way, but many techniques, are a heritage from my country!

Turquoise Soap

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

Blue and orange without any doubt!

The Blue Line

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

I studied in art school a course that was called at the time of fire arts (ceramics and jewelry), then I majored in conservation and restoration.

The Star Of The New Year

- Do you have a studio or home studio? Where do you create your artwork?

I live on a small farm near Lisbon! I have a little studio at home, where I do all the work in ceramics and restoration. It is very good; I'm in full contact with nature.

My Little Turquoise Bowl

Thank you dear Sandra for this really 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.

You can find Sandra's wonderful artwork in her Etsy shop Azulado. And you can get to know more about her work and her colorful world in her lovely blog.

©AnnukCreations