Galatia's  Eclectic Talents  
   
 Art works that provide mental escapes...
         And...Sparkle for your Spirit!  :)


 
           You're on the About Me & The Art  page
                             

First: THANK YOU for visiting,I know how valuable time is            Back To Contents

This is the hard part for me....what to say  'About Me' ...like, what do you want to know?                     
And, how much do you want to know?  I guess all I can do is just write, you can always                                         
skip this part!!! ;) lol.  After I get done with the 'about me' part, I will tell you about the                                            
individual arts I do. So if you're looking to know more about a specific art, just scroll down                                         
until you find it :)  
                                                                                                                                             
   Ok, here goes...... originally from Lansing,Michigan, I moved to Tampa Florida 21 years ago.  I currently live in the Orlando area for the last 4 and a half years with my sweetheart, who has encouraged me to utilize this time in my life to create and live my dream. That being to do all the artsy things I LOVE to do and have my studio in my home, with a giftshop on the internet. So, after 4 yrs. of making 'stock', now I'm learning and making the online giftshop, which is where you are now...and I'm very happy that you've come to see it! :) I also have everything displayed in my home, so if you live in the area and want to view it, just email me and I'll be happy to set an appointment for you.

  For the 15 yrs. before I came to the Orlando area I was a Personal Assistant. I love helping people, and I'm so happy to have had clients that became
friends.  (If you are one of them email me!!! I'd love to hear from you and reconnect :) What I enjoyed most about my 'jobs' was the various things I did. It was never boring!  Some of the jobs were: care of elders (I learned tons of things from elders! it was so cool to get to know them and listen to their life lessons and experiences), housekeeping, secretarial (for people who work in their homes), remodling/decorating, organizing offices and garages, gardening, painting, caulking, wallpapering, outdoor receptionist for the massage therapists at a 5star resort/community, (I also did massage work on friends/clients..still do..go see the bottom of my "Angels Page"),  and so many other things. I was even a nanny for the first year of a baby girl's life...what  a joy she was!

     I got to know elite, rich, poor, eccentric, and foreigners, and the biggest lesson I can tell you is that a persons' ''title'' in no way means they are a good person to be acquainted with...always look for good heartedness, people who treat others with kindness and understanding... they'll be the ones you'll enjoy knowing, learning from, and grow to love. I have been really blessed in meeting many wonderful people!

    For all those years I could only do my art 'on the side', and sometimes (like holidays) it was hard to keep up with making things for my people!  Thanks to my sweetheart, I now have plenty 'stock' to get my shop going :)  And now, I can 'go public' and give you a chance to see if  something I've made will make your heart smile! And I have a million things (ideas in my head) that I will be making and adding to the giftshop, so that's why I say you may want to bookmark this site...and come back to see what's new!  Or, if you'd like, send me an email with your email address and let me know if you'd like to be notified of new things. Eventually I want to figure out and put an auto-responder on the site for you to sign up for notices,  and a chat room too so I can meet up with old and new friends, and we can share ideas, tips and whatever artsy people like us want to chat about!  So look for " Gs Crafty Corner to be completed :)

   Which leads me to a very important thing about me....I'm an artist  NOT  a 'techie' ....that's why this site is a "Personal Store/Site"  Not  a
"Professional" site.  I'm having a hard time, but am learning how to do things besides email and chat on the computer!!!  lol  As I get this site together, page by page, I will also have a page of ''how to's'' for you. Directions for lots of  crafts...great things you can make yourself...just like I do.. Of course, if you don't have the time, or the supplies needed, you're welcome to get and start a collection of my making!  It makes my heart happy to have something I love to do,  be in your home and enjoyed...Thank You, there's no better compliment anyone can feel :).  

   Ok, so to wrap this up for you, I offer several different types of works, including but not limited to: glass, paper ,beads, wood, paint, collage, etc.  All are made to do one thing : to bring YOU a time of pleasantry, a moment of positive escape from your troubles and help you refresh and balance. I believe everyone needs a little fantasy to help balance their world. My art is a quest to be unique, and most is one of a kind.  Quality and craftsmanship are of the utmost importance to me, so I can be assured that all your expectations are surpassed with each and every creation.  My goal is to help you relax and enjoy some good thoughts whenever you can.  May all your journies through my works provide an enviornment rich with 'eye candy' to escape into for a little while. And if you are looking for a special, unique gift for someone else, well, needless to say, you've found a good place to shop! :)

       My hope is that you feel my Spirit of Love that goes into each piece, and that it makes your heart smile.
          Thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoy my site, come back often, and find lots of things you like!  :)
           A  little personal p.s. : A "just because" gift, is the best kind to give or receive!
                                                                                                                                  With a sincere hug to you,
                                                                                                                                             Kris Galatian
                                                                                                                                           
Jeeze, I forgot ('till now), I am PayPal verified and have a 100% positive feedback  on
eBay. My ID on eBay is:  galatia1st  


                                                                                                                                           
                                                                        About the Art   


ArtWear    
               We have Underwear and Outerwear, Now I offer you Artwear!!!! :)  (You'll find these in the 'Jewelry" section).
      
          I've taken favorite patterns and painted them on canvas paper, cut them out as precisely as possible, and then glued them to wood that is cut
to fit their individual shapes. Then three coats of finish are brushed on. I always get compliments when I wear them! People seem to love seeing the
artwork, and the 'character' that they portray! With the black background (the wood) the paintings are framed nicely and you can wear them with  
 anything. I've attached them to black silk chord, but, of course, you can easily put them on chain if you prefer.

Glass Fantasies 
      
          I've sometimes wondered if one of the reasons people get 'lost' in the glass creations is because I get so 'lost'  as I make them. It takes
thousands of tiny dots, dashes and scratches, with tiny scalpels and xacto knife tips to achieve the end result. Each is one of a kind, and has it's own 'personality'.  I'm always fine tuning techniques which make even the most used patterns always at least a little different!  They are a great tool to focus and escape into :)
         
     The glass is prepared, painted and cured for at least a week. Then I trace a pattern onto it and start scratching!...lots and lots of scratching...
but the end result of the thousands of tiny scratches,dots and dashes, is a dramatically detailed, transparent picture. The more you look at it, the more
'drawn' into it you become. I apologize for the poor quality of  some of the photos, but sadly, the glass doesn't scan or photograph well. You will see
the scratching beautifully when you have them in your presence, though! Thanks to a new friend and her good camera, we got the best ones of the
larger scratchings that've been taken ever! (Thanks again Meghan :)       
       
       There are several different ways to display the work. When I finish the piece, it is transparent. By putting colored paper behind it in a frame,
 you can literally change it's 'mood', and putting crinkled foil behind it adds a wonderful sparkle. By leaving it transparent and putting it in a lighted
shadow box frame, they're exquisite!  I find most people like them painted white though, making all the scratches viewable in any amount
of lighting, and also illuminating brighter if placed in front of a light.
       
       I found this to be very cool for bathroom or bedroom windows. I've made glasswork to fit on an existing window (sliding glass doors too).
 The glasswork is painted white, then caulked inside the window frame. From the outside, one sees 'white', but from the inside you see the picture!!!       (Because the glasswork is caulked into the frame, it can easily be removed, and used elsewhere!)
        
      I also do the same work on the back of aquariums. It hides filters, and pumps and tubing beautifully!!! And when the aquarium light is on, the      scratching again, illuminates brightly. I don't ship aquariums, but I can make panels that can be placed together and caulked to your aquarium frame.
In my "Portfolio" page I have a photo of my 55 gallon tank and a ten gallon aquarium, the scratching is directly on the back of the glass, and is painted white. See how it illuminates with the light on!

                                                                        
Jewelry  

     When I was 16, I started making "Little Critters'' to decorate plants, and wear as earrings. Learning the painstakig task of matching the bead sizes
 to create 'smooth' lines/rows...woven with wire and tied off invisibly. Then I added  a couple dozen different Christmas tree ornaments patterns, and beaded mobiles for babies cribs, childrens rooms too. A few years later I started making necklaces.   
     Through my work of being a Personal Assistant, I had the privilage of having a client who became a close friend. In her college years she majored
in designing, and at one time was also a student of a Master Jeweler. She liked my works and hired me to help her produce her lines of art/jewelry. She even included my "Little Critter Alligator" earrings with her things in an outlet in the Tampa International Airport!  (I was amazed and thrilled when they
sold like crazy for $39.95 and that was like15 years ago!)   Naturally she taught me much!  I tell you this, not to bore you, but so you know, that the
 jewelry you purchase of my making, is done with experience and professional knowledge. Thank you, Sari, for your enthusiam and  'pressure' to take
 my art works to a higher level.
     My necklaces, earrings, bracelets and brooches, are made of glass beads, and enhanced with: Aurora Borealis finish beads, antique crystal, cloisone, crackle glass, Czech fire polished glass,  fiberoptic cat's eye,  foil glass,  gold or silver plated caps,  gold or silver plated filigre, hematite,  lampworked glass,  luster finish glass,  and Swarovski crystals. They're beautiful whether you're in casual or formal attire.
     When I designed the Chokers, I made it so you can easily slide the Fob off and put another on. So, you can have one choker with several Fobs to match any outfit! They are strung on Memory Wire so they're VERY comfortable to wear, not tight. The bracelets are also made with Memory Wire and are beautiful whether you're wearing one or a dozen!  The 'Branched' necklaces I also call my 'Trivia'' necklaces, because you can easily attach charms, fobs, rings, etc. to each branch. (You can see a picture of my personal 'Trivia Necklace'' on the homepage.  The "Trio" necklaces are my favorite. Each strand is unique, but goes along well with the other two to create one stunning piece!  Easily goes over your head...no fussing with clasps, and easy care of cleaning too, just use a soft cloth in warm, soapy water, rinse and hang dry!  
    My newest line of jewelry is my Rings.   I am blessed with strong, LARGE hands with webbed fingers (yea, a snyde remark ;) lol  Seriously, for a woman to have size 11 & 12 ring fingers, that's pretty large!  It's also hard  to find pretty rings in that size (unless you go to the 'big-toe-rings' section!), and the adjustable  metal ones either pinch because they're opened or they cut into your finger.   Long story  short, I started making my own and now offer them to you.  I even have some that have  little  'dangles'...maybe the old 'hippie' in me  that still loves fringes and bobbles....I think  it adds  delicate feminine charm...and added sparkles :)  And let me tell you, WOW how  some of these rings  sparkle!!!  Like colored diamonds for sure.  I wear mine constantly.

     Arthritis sufferers can enjoy wearing rings again! It's true!  I have a neighbor who is thrilled with these rings. She's not been able to wear her rings for quite awhile because of her arthritic knuckles. These rings open up easily, and I showed her how to just hold the end of the wrap and start to unwind it from her finger at the same time sliding it off....no fuss no muss! :)   So, it makes me feel good that she, and all other arthritis sufferers, can once again wear beautiful rings, on
any or all of their fingers! :)

For a very reasonable price, you can get a ring for every finger, mood, outfit, or occasion. I am happy that they also blend so well with all my other jewelry!  So have fun! Pick rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, that you can easily mix and match.  And, if you're thinking of buying one for someone else, you won't have to worry about what size they  wear!! Cool right?!!  
  
They are made on 'memory wire'  and easily adjust up to about size 13, so if you retain water or gain weight even, all you have to do is open the ring up a bit and it's a comfy fit again (if you need a larger size than 13, feel free to email me and I'll make larger ones for you). To make it smaller again you just hold each end and twist into a smaller coil again (carefully because they are glass and can break). You can adjust the rings over and over again without fear of breaking the wire, I demonstrate with my rings all the time and still resize no problem!

 I LOVE that the glass will NOT turn your fingers green! ;)  The glass colors will NOT fade. I don't know anyone allergic to glass either!   Don't 'slam' the glass on a hard surface, after all, it is glass and could break, but if treated like a normal piece of jewelry your glass rings can last forever.



Victorian Filigre

Of all the different art things I do, I must confess, this is the one that requires my ability to be patient!!! The art form itself began centuries ago when paper was a precious commodity. Nuns, in order to save the trims of papers from bibles and hymnbooks, would make shapes into intricate designs, and make articles for their cathedrals. It later became a hobby of the upper class ladies, making borders for their pictures, announcements, and their mirrors.
     Since coming to this country, with early American colonists, it basically continued to be a popular way to decorate pictures, borders etc. Artists have expanded to making Christmas ornaments as well. But the art form has slowly fallen by the wayside so to speak, it is time consuming, Very time consuming!
      From start to finish, each piece is carefully hand crafted. I cut my own paper 1/8” wide, by 2” long, and then scroll them in the desired shapes using a hat pin. Days are spent, meticulously making the tiny pieces, then arranging them just so, to become a collectable heirloom of lasting beauty for anyone to admire. It looks so elegant and delicate, but it is surprisingly sturdy!
     Today, most quill artists just do border work around announcements, invitations, special cards, etc.  It has been researched, and so far I’m the only known artist offering these kinds of pieces for sale, many of which are my original ideas/patterns. I have been refining this art form for 30+ years, and am proud to be able to offer this rare art work for your collection. You may even want to start a collection!  I'm constantly thinking of new things to make and offer :)
     When I get G's Crafty Corner set up here, I'll have directions for you to see how to do it. It is very cool! Time consuming, but cool ;)  And, again, of course, if you don't have the time to make it, but appreciate the art form...you're welcome to get and start a collection of my making!


Collage Works

      Soon I'll be adding  the other things I do with this art form.  Over the years I've made lots of collaged things, but I don't have any of them for sale at this time.  I will tho. There's a few photos of some in my "Portfolio". From pencil holders and magazine barrells, to dressers, cabinets and even wall paper, collage is beautiful.


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                                              That's all for now....Again, if you've read this far, Thank You for your time and visit! :)
If you have any comments or  questions please don't hesitate to contact me (the link is on the 'content' page). I've posted others' comments on my                                                            "comments" page if you would like to see what others have said about my things.

                                                                            Copyright © 1994-2007 Kris/Galatia.
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