Here are some more great Etsians to check out!



LillyQueen is a shop of really lovely, elegant jewelry. She offers really nice, classic designs that will never go out of style. I just love the photos she takes, too!




Wallexpress's shop is full of really fun and funky original art. Like she says in her shop, it's like nothing you've seen before! I really love that she uses nontraditional ways of creating her art; it gives it real character.

I decided it would be fun to feature a couple Etsian artists and sellers that I think are just great! To get a little practice, I decided to start with the ones I've been talking with in the Etsy forums They're great people and I think you should check out their shops.




Enyaeire is an Irish born and raised lady who has lots of beautiful knitted and crocheted hats, scarves and wraps, along with some beautiful brooches, purses, and really fun things like water bottle carriers and cell phone carriers. All of her items have a fun Celtic feel to them, and I personally think they have a warm old fashioned look to them that makes them very charming.

Enyaerie also has a blog.




MonkeyThreads has a really fun idea; why not make removable stickers you can put on your walls, laptop, mirrors and lots of other hard surfaces? That's exactly what she did, and they're just lovely. Not only are they cute and creative, but there are so many designs that you're bound to find something that fits you. And if you don't, she's probably more than happy to make something just for you.




Shelialk makes really cute and fresh jewelry. As she states in her shop a couple of times, her photos aren't the best but her jewelry is still wonderful, and I agree! It has such a playful feeling to it, and so many wonderful colors and charms. And I love how many pieces she has available. There are so many to choose from that it's almost too hard to pick just one.




Indigoarts has a beautiful collection of really wonderful and unique jewelry. There's something so special about the magnificent colors she gets in her little clay charms that instantly makes me go, "Oooh!". And the designs are so fun and whimsical.




Sarahinflorida has really funky, big and bold jewelry and accessories in her shop, and they're so much fun. She also has a bunch of items in her shop that are being sold to help pink ribbon charities, and I think that's just great.


That's my list of Etsians for the week. Enjoy!

Yes, I did skip last week's review, in case anyone was paying attention. I was off camping in the wilds of Pennsylvania with my husband, and loving it. And although I talked to Pia early in the week, I decided to wait until today to do my review. But you'll be satisfied you waited!

Name: Pia Van Ravenstein
Style: Spiritual Realistic/Stylized Animal
Galleries: The Artwork of Pia Van Ravenstein, Deviant Art

The most striking thing about Pia's art is simply the fact that it's so very different, beautiful and unique that you almost have to create a whole new category for it. I feel that there is something out there, some name for her art, but I can't find it, and somehow this makes her artwork even more beautiful.

Another wonderful thing about this artist is that she's so closely ground to her motherland and with nature and all that is around her. You can almost feel the spirit of the creatures in her pieces, as if they're truly alive and breathing, because she's brought in their essence so very well. And her lovely style whispers of art from natives of her Australian home, and remind me of my own native heritage and the desire to pay it homage.

Pia does very spiritual work, focusing on animal totems drawn with much life. But what I like most about her art is that she combines very life-like animal renditions with vibrant colors and striking patterns. Take, for example, her Virginia Opossum as Totem:



The colors are the first thing to strike me; they're so vibrant and so well balanced. But the eye is automatically drawn to the serene figure of the opossum with those bright eyes. And there's something very hypnotic and maybe a little soothing about the repeated swirling designs incorporated into the background; they add so much interest and texture without being overbearing.

It's not just the colors and the well-drawn animals that bring these pieces to life, either. The geometric elements added both show movement and really take your mind to a deeper place, somewhere nature is worshiped and revered. Such as her Australian Magpie - Totem:



Notice how colors, shapes and line all work together to bring drama and tension through to the viewer and make them feel like they're moving with the magpie. Doesn't it just set you free?

My favorite (I think; it's so hard to choose just one) to date has to be her Wild Horse as Totem. It simply speaks to my soul.



The gentle wind blowing through the leaves and tossing the horse's mane; those serene eyes watching the world before it; the specks of color and light between the darkness. All of these things draw me in and makes my spirit feel like dancing. I don't think I can even explain what it is exactly that makes this piece so beautiful; you simply have to see it to experience it, and I feel that this is true of all of Pia's work.

Pia does a lot of totem pieces, and if you're in to that sort of thing, you should really look at her art and see if any of her animals make your spirit dance as well. Although it looks like she most enjoys doing animals from her homeland of Australia, she also does creatures from other parts of the world as well, so give her website a look. You never know what you'll find.

I feel that Pia's work has improved and really gotten a character and feel all of it's own within the couple of years that she's been on Deviant Art, and I just know that it will continue to change and grow and really stand out among other artists.

Art © Pia Van Ravenstein and posted with her permission.

Determined to make things endlessly hard on myself, I happily waited until the very last minute to find someone to review today. That said, I'm extremely happy that I waited; I found someone so much deserving of a review that I'm excited to do this one.

Name: Mei Pak
Style/Media: Cutesy Jewelry, Photography and Photo manipulations
Galleries: Tiny Hands, Deviant Art

Now you're probably wondering, as did Mei, why I'm reviewing her art. The truth is that I can't get over how lovely her little sculptures are. Not only does she get her polymer clay to look incredibly life-like and very yummy, but she does it on such a small scale. A girl after my own heart, she also experiments with other media. She has a couple very beautiful photo manipulations, a lot of dazzling photos, some very pretty surreal art, moving poetry, and even a pretty design for her blog. She's very talented!

But though all of her art is good, I'm most drawn to her small sculptures of sweet things. The first piece I saw was one entitled "I Eat Grass Cupcake", and it first surprised me. But the more I looked at darling little green cupcake, the more I liked it:



Those two shades of green go so well together, and they bring a lot of visual interest that would otherwise be missing in frosting that was all one color. I just love the cute little red berries! And the very unique technique of making the cupcake gradient makes this piece even more realistic.

Another piece that struck me was one that really shows off how well Mei works on a small scale. Choco Cupcakes is so very tiny that it makes one wonder how one person could have that much patience:



I think what amazes me most about these cupcakes is the texture she adds to the cakes. The look very real, almost fresh out of the oven.

This next piece will show how well she managed to get that cake-like texture. Strawberry Shortcake:



Not only is the texture of the cake very realistic, but the cream filling and topping are so perfectly executed. The strawberries look sugar glazed and perfect for eating, and the topping looks very gently browned and still warm. I just can't get over how cute and wonderful these pieces are. I'm amazed at how well she gets the colors just right.

My favorite piece to date would have to be one that, in my opinion, looks the most realistic and the yummiest. Just take a look at Cake Mania and you'll understand why:



Again, that amazing texture wins me over with these cute little cakes. The very nice color combination adds to the adorableness, and the toppings push it right over the edge. Anyone who sees these will, I'm sure, instantly fall in love. I do believe, however, that these little cakes look even cuter in their earring form, which you can see (and buy!) in her Tiny Hands store.

Now that I sound like a total fan-girl, I want to say again that I'm very happy I found Mei's gallery and got the chance to review her wonderful art. I have no doubt that she'll continue to make wonderful little delicacies and amaze all that see them.

Art © Mei Pak and posted with her permission.

Since I'm going to be in a wedding and therefore gone all of tomorrow, I thought it would be smart to post this today:


Name: Savannah Horrocks
Style: Fantasy/Furry
Galleries: Savannahorrocks.com, Deviant Art

Savannah's style totally blew me away when I first saw it, and for a couple of reasons. The first is because she gets so much texture and detail into her pieces without over crowding them, which is a pretty amazing feat. The other reason is the fact that she uses a lot of the same materials that I use, and yet her pieces are so much more visually interesting because of the very unique way she uses them.

Her choice of colors never stops surprising me. Every piece feels as if it's been very carefully laid out in her head before ever touching paper, and those wonderful, rich colors always compliment each other in ways one might not otherwise think of.

The art found in her galleries all seem to have twinges of darkness around the edges, but sometimes you can catch a glimpse of something beautifully innocent and full of wonder. You begin to understand that she loves a good fairy tale, and that reflects in almost all of her art. It's especially evident with pieces such as her Furry Snow White:



Although she describes the background as lacking, I think it shows a lot of tension in the air, pulling your attention back to the furry Snow White and the evil moment her step mother has been waiting for. The stunningly lovely Snow White looks so natural as a horse-girl, and I think it's rather fitting, too, with how timid and gentle she was in the story. The texture and design of the dress is wonderful, and its color contracts greatly with the rest of the piece, really bringing you back again to the focus of the piece.

Another fascinating piece that shows off Savannah's wonderful imagination is her Tooth Fairy:



There's something about that big, toothy grin and the totally emaciated figure that fits so right with the image of a creature sneaking around at night, stealing the teeth of young children. Again, her use of colors works so well for her in this piece that I'm sure most people wouldn't even think about them. Using what looks to be green or possibly blue to shade her orange monster, she tones down those bright colors and makes him even spookier. Her wonderful talent of line drawing also shines through with this piece, with the black lines creating so much added drama.

My favorite piece so far from Savannah is one of those elusive innocent pieces that immediately caught my attention. Unicorn and Butterflies:



There's something very magical about this piece. The use of the old paper as a background, the lovely choice of stamps (the key, the Celtic knots), and the wonderful butterfly stickers takes the viewer back to a more innocent time. It also speaks of mystery and hidden places, and that, I think, is what I like most about it. The unicorn itself is very wonderfully done in a very fun and playful pose. And yet, those soft and gentle pastels along with the creature's daintiness and big, emotional eyes bring a sense of peace and awe. There's also something about a long, thin unicorn horn that makes it look especially gentle in my eyes.

Savannah does a huge load of commissions, bookmarks, charms, badges and generally neat stuff for people. If you like her work, I would highly recommend commissioning her. Her art would look beautiful on a wall on on a charm. And with as much talent and imagination as she possesses, I can see her being very well known and sought after within a few short years.

Art © Savannah Horrocks and posted with her permission.

I've decided that I want to start reviewing artists (preferably not so well known artist) once a week, on Saturdays. This will both give me a reason to look at and study other's art and technique, but it will also give those artists I review some much needed attention.

But to start with, I want to do someone I'm fairly familiar with, and that happens to be:

Name: Julie Dillon
Style: Fantasy
Born: January 30, 1982
Galleries: JDillon.net, DeviantArt

The art of Julie Dillon has always fascinated me. She has been, for the last six or seven years, a true inspiration for me, and has given me the nudge I needed to get started in my art.

Her paintings have a very true sense of life, motion, and light to them, transporting you to far away dreams of tender emotions or darkest night. You find yourself truly wanting to believe what you're seeing is real, but the gentle haziness of her pieces reminds you that it is but a dream.

Family, a commissioned piece for a man of his family, brings forth those soft, fuzzy feelings from within your heart as you catch all the suprising details; the butterflies, the fairies, and the baby bunnies. The inner glowing of the child and mother draws your attention back, however, to the main focus of this painting; the love between a family. The special bond between mother and daughter, and the protective, but gentle force of the father not far away. On the other side of the spectrum, toward her darker depths of her mind, you find pieces like I Shall Face Damnation, a painting depicting an angel going into hell to save a fallen friend, risking his own salvation. And although it is very dark, the piece is beautifully light, as well. Beyond the fiery pit of hell waits the glory of what lies beyond; heaven? I'm not sure, but those soft greens and yellows balance so nicely with the reds and blacks of what's below.

My favorite piece to date is one that Julie admits she went overboard on. The results, however, are stunning. Forest City whispers of places unseen, hiding behind the green blanket of ancient trees. What are the two characters up to? Are they on an adventure, exploring this glorious place? Or do they live and thrive here, learning spells and swordsmanship? The piece draws the viewer in, inviting them to find all that this place hides.

Julie's art is, simply put, outstanding. Her talent is only held back by the number of hours in the day, and I'm convinced that she will get anywhere she desires to go.