Check Out...Hana Sakura Designs
Sparkly. Glittery. Colorful. Like a magpie to tinsel, I was attracted to Hana Sakura Designs! Her imaginitive use of glass is amazing!
You have very few flat, simple pieces. What made you get more intricate? What's funny, is, I don't "set out" to do intricate and delicate pieces....That's just ME! Ever since I was a little girl, I've always seemed to do things the "hard way" as many people like to put it. I don't find doing intricate art difficult at all! Whether it's Painting, Stained Glass, Fusing, Drawing.....for some reason, it just comes naturally to me! (probably because I've always just done it that way and I don't know any different). I don't know how to do simple artwork; I get bored. The more complex the better!! When I was 14 or 15 years old, I used to paint eggs with a single haired brush! My Mother keeps them in her curio now. My mind is always full of creative ideas...I find that doing "intricate" pieces actually calm me down and help me to relax. When I've had a bad day, I'll go downstairs and create! I have the most incredible patience when it comes to difficult art, but in normal life, I have absolutely NO patience!
I love your pieces! Everything looks like it took so many firings. How many times do you fire a typical piece? Thanks for loving the "jewels"! (That's what I call them). Most of the time, it only takes 1-2 firings per piece. Sometimes they don't cooperate....So they get fired again. There are pieces in my kiln cooling right now that were just fired 3 times. They were just being so stubborn! I love that occasionally, some of the pieces, when fired multiple times, come out a slightly different color than previously before. It's just so much fun opening up the kiln (after it's cooled, it's a big "No-No" to do it before hand...Although it SURE is tempting!) and seeing what awaits!
Speaking of intricate...do you have any tips for cutting? This is something you have obviously mastered! Expect to get cut! There's no way around it. No matter how careful you are, you will get cut! But, that doesn't stop me. I don't know if I mastered it, yet. There's always techniques that need to be worked on. I used to do Stained Glass a lot. My first job out of High School was for the "Stained Glass Cabinet Co." back in Traverse City, Michigan (Where I'm originally from). I was fortunate enough to have them teach me the "ins and outs" of stained glass design. I've done church windows, cabinets, tables, panels, sun catchers, side-lights for front doors...You name it. I think perhaps working there taught me how to cut glass. That and lots and lots of practice! So, I guess if you count how many years it's been.... about 18 years of cutting. Wow! I guess I haven't thought of that for a long time. So, I guess that's my only tip. Just keep at it and practice! It'll just happen!
You have a very successful etsy shop. Do you have any tips for other sellers? Photography is probably a big thing. Always make sure your pictures are clear, sharp and colorful! You want to catch people's eye! Whatever background you use, it shouldn't be overpowering. You want to see the piece FIRST, not the background. Don't let your displays/props to take over what you're trying to sell. The background should accentuate the artwork and compliment it. When you set up your shop, think of yourself being the customer. What appeals to you? What kinds of backgrounds would appeal to you if you were buying? If it doesn't catch your eye, it probably won't catch any one else's either. Put your heart and soul into it...it'll show! Actually, I've have a little bit of help in this area. I used to be a "Graphic Designer" and that education has helped me in all areas of my shop. Another tip that was given to me and is true.... Promote-Promote-Promote! Promote outside Etsy, on the Etsy forums, wherever you can. And just keep at it. There's slow times and then busy times. Just always work at and success will follow!
Do you sell in other venues besides etsy? Actually, Last week I was contacted by a beautiful new art gallery that wanted to sell my dichroic pieces. It's been a whirlwind this past week! They are having a "Grand Opening" party next week and they requested lots of pieces! I am so incredibly excited to be a part of this new venture! Beside my Etsy shop, I sell at "Firebrick Gallery & Pottery Studio" in Rochester Hills, Michigan. My pieces are also at "Gallery 154" in East-town Grand Rapids, Michigan. I also used to sell my artwork at the gift shop at "Frederic Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park" in Grand Rapids. I was also fortunate to be able to sell my jewelry in Lahaina, Maui, Hawai'i last year. That was a wonderful experience! (A Big "Mahalo Nui Loa" to Rhea and Jim who helped me get started in this wonderful world of jewelry!) If anyone is in the Grand Rapids or Detroit area, please check out these two wonderful art galleries!
Tell me something about you. Well, I love being creative! I've been into art forever. In Kindergarden, I drew this picture of a horse, complete with saddle, bridle, girth, the whole thing. Pretty complicated for a 5 year old! I remember my teacher asking my Mom where I learned to draw like that at such an early age. "She's a mystery" my Mom said. (she says this with a laugh, by-the-way!) My hobbies....Oh...I have so many hobbies! I enjoy Drawing, Painting, Fusing Dichro, Lampwork Beadmaking, Stained Glass, Gardening, Horseback riding (I used to ride show jumpers), Traveling, Boating, Sailing, Making people laugh, Playing with my Golden Retriever, Hana....I think that's it! I met my Husband, Dan, at college. Graphic Design was my "thing" and he went to school for "Plastics Engineering". (He designs interior parts for cars). We got married on a lava cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Waianapanapa Beach in Hana, Maui 11 years ago. (we "eloped", actually!) We absolutely are in love with the Hawaiian Islands, it's culture, and it's wonderful people! Last year, we returned to Maui and The Big Island for our Anniversary. Still just as beautiful! This time we flew over the Kilauea Crater in a helicopter. WOW! Later that same day, we hiked over fields and fields of cooled lava. So awesome to experience creation this way! Someday, we would love to move to Hawai'i. But for now, I'm just going to keep making jewelry! :)
The story behind my name, "Hana Sakura"....Well, "Hana" is the name of the beautiful little town we were married at in Maui. (It's also the name of my precious "fur-kid" Golden Retriever). Hana also means "flower" in Japanese. I love Japan and everything about it. "Sakura" means "Cherry Blossom" in Japanese. Where I'm from originally, Traverse City, Michigan, is the cherry capitol of the world. I grew up with cherry orchards all around my house. We had millions of flowering cherry trees everywhere! So, the name "Sakura" was really important for me to use in the naming of my shop!
Do you create daily? Not every day, but close! I'm actually addicted to making dichroic jewelry, believe it or not. I make 50 pairs at a time and you would think that would be enough. Oh no. I need to make more! On the weekends, when we're not doing other things, I'll make some pieces. During the week, after work, I'll sit down for a few hours and make things. I don't seem to always have the time to list them online. I need to get better at that. I have about 400 pairs of earrings just needing love right now! I always feel that if I have enough pieces saved up, I will have time to do other things. Well, I haven't stopped making dichroic jewelry since last November! And now, my new Art Gallery needs more items....Busy-busy! I would love to be able to do this full-time at some point. (I know, not realistic....But it's the goal I've set for myself).
Do you plan and plot your creations or do you work by the seat of your pants? Now, I know this will sound a little weird, but I have actually had dreams about pieces before I've made them! I've been known to wake up in the middle of the night with an idea that I saw in my dream, and will quick draw it on paper. (otherwise I'll forget by morning). It's weird. A lot of my pieces come from a dream I have had or I'll think of one while I'm at work (Shhh...Don't tell my boss!) Otherwise, most of the time, I don't have plans for earring design. I just let it happen while I'm making them. I try not to repeat any design, but, it's hard coming up with 400 different styles of earrings!
Now, my Floral Pendants, I have to plan those out. Those use a lot more glass than earrings do. Dichroic glass, as you know, isn't exactly a cheap thing! I don't want to waste any of it, if I can help it. So, I'll draw out the flowers before I create them. This is where, I think, my former life as a Stained Glass artist helps. Fitting the pieces together "just right". I just thought up some "Pansy" flower pendants this afternoon. I drew them up, and now there's about 4-5 of them cooling in my kiln right now! We'll see what they look like tomorrow morning! (hope I can sleep!) I came up with the Iris Pendant from one of my floral gardens. Irises are my absolute favorite flower! I've got all sorts of other flower ideas running through my little mind right now.....
Describe your studio. Well, it's a big mess right now! (Aren't most artists' studios?). I'm not exactly a very organized person. Oh well. My studio is actually a 4th bedroom in the basement of our house. We didn't put any flooring in (didn't want hot beads or glass shards in the shag!) Just the base cement floor and two windows to watch the birds outside. There's a lilac bush outside one of the windows and there's a maple tree outside the other window. I'm going to paint the walls a blue color with Hawaiian scenes on them one of these days (when I find extra time). We bought some little surf boards from Hawai'i that I'm going to hang on the walls, too. (trying to get the feeling of "Aloha" going in the studio!) I have two big stainless steel tables that I use for my fusing/glass cutting. I have boxes full of scrap glass from Stained glass....I should probably find some use for those! I have my "Bobcat" torch on one table hooked up to an Oxygen concentrator and propane tank (outside the house). It's just sitting there, looking at me. I haven't played with it for about a year. Maybe I should get on it, huh? Then I could do beads AND dichro! I listed to quieter music while I'm creating. I like to listen to "Israel Kamakawiwo'ole" (Hawaiian singer), Jack Johnson, and Josh Groban while I work. When I'm feeling really "feisty", I'll listen to "Daughtry, Cold Play, Aerosmith, Kid Rock, and some Nickleback (the quieter stuff). Or, just the plain ol' radio!
