Votive: A Beautiful Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is #2, Julie! Congratulations!

It's that time of year: apples are crisp, Halloween costumes are hastily being assembled, and Martha Stewart: Living has glorious slices of Thanksgiving pie showcased on the cover.


Some of you feel something tickling the back of your brain: like something hiding just out of sight, a glance at the calendar makes you feel you've forgotten something important.


Christmas.


I am pleased to introduce you to an extremely gifted artist. She has a shop on Etsy. She does beautiful work. And she is generously providing a yellow starburst handpainted votive to one lucky person - a gift for you, or someone you love. I encourage you to do some Christmas shopping from talented Yevgenia! 

Let me introduce you to Yevgenia.

I love that items in your shop are global - alongside tea cups, there are bowls with chopstick notches, and the ubiquitous English egg cup. Is the wide appeal deliberate, or does it spring naturally?

It actually springs naturally. I grew up surrounded by my grand parents’ English and German tea sets, which are now collectibles. So I naturally, out of melancholy, look out for such items. And I was always drawn to Asian art, sculpture, ceramics and design. Growing up in Moscow, Russia I was surrounded by a lot of ethnic diversity of former Soviet republics, which I think added to my globally appealing aesthetic. And now living in New York City, a melting pot of the world, just constantly broadens my palette.

I notice that you have a beautifully keen eye for nature - many of your items showcase elegant blossoms and foliage. Does your inspiration come from the outdoors, from classic botanical prints, or where?

I love the outdoors! All my summers up until 14 years old were spent in summer camps, hiking or at my grandparent’s house in suburbs by the lake with a gorgeous garden. Now that I live in urban jungle and don’t have a car, I kind of obsess about the lack of nature in the city. I have a gorgeous park 2 blocks away from me, where I’d love to prop up a tent and just live there.

 A few of your glass items seem to fuse abstract art with stained glass, the way you've painted them - they actually almost remind me of icons. What's your process - how do you get from a clear, glass object, to an exquisitely adorned ornament?

Being a multi-media artist outside of Etsy I am working with reclaimed windows which I paint and sculpturally build out to create wall hung 3D sculptures which are back-lit. I think this definitely influences how I approach painting glass. The shape of the glass object dictates the design for me, that’s why it’s almost always abstract. I get carried away by a curve or an angle, or some strange reflections produced by the thick edge of the base. But I’m always aware of how it will look against the light and in the shade, from all the angles. 

 I love that your art has a clear, consistent voice, but that it also stands alone, unique, and personal. Have you thought about creating collections, or do you prefer to allow your pieces to stand individually?

I have already begun creating collections based on my most favorite designs: Grass Fields (with floral permutations), Red Dragon motif (with black and gold variations) and Topography series, which at this point encompasses all the glass works. I did organize my store previously based on the collections but I think it was a bit confusing for the buyers looking for, say, a cup. So I changed the layout based on the type of dishes. I just wish the Etsy store was more customizable. 

 How does an online venue like Etsy help you in your day to day life as an artist?

It is incredibly inspiring to know that somebody out there likes what I create and wants to own it. This makes my day and gives a reason to go on creating. I think all artists are aware that they need audience; so knowing that I have one is very encouraging.

***************************

                  To enter this giveaway, featuring the handpainted, yellow starburst votive from Yevgenia, visit the shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/yevgenia?ref=seller_info. Find your favorite item, and tell us what it is in a comment below. Include your email address for winner notification purposes. Limit one entry per person. 

BUT WAIT!  Make a purchase from Yevgenia's shop, and earn five additional entries!

Giveaway ends midnight central time on Monday, October 25th. Winner chosen via random.org and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.