It's Show Week, Pittsburgh!

Meet Debi Mottes of The Creative Dabbler...
I live in Monaca, PA located in Beaver County. When people walk into my house, they always want a tour because each room is uniquely painted and decorated.  My daughter’s room even has an entire wall of leopard print!  I have 3 grown daughters and 3 fur “grandkids”.  I am a Penn State alum with a Bachelor’s degree and a 15 year career in social work.  “We are Penn State!”

After my Social Work career,  “The Creative Dabbler” was open. My business consisted of everything from faux finishes, stenciling, hand painting, murals, creating accessories, and all things decorating. I recently closed my business after 21 fulfilling years and decided to pursue my talents off of the ladders. Painting furniture in a variety of colors and patterns has peaked my interest since creativity is in my blood. That, as well as my first love – anything crafty!

As the oldest cousins in my family, my sister and I used to make holiday favors for all of our younger cousins. After that, my imagination kept soaring….through all of my daughters’ activities  - school, church, girl scouts – I was always the craft lady.  My daughter’s friends always refer to me as the Creative Mom; my daughter’s friend always jokes that she wants to be the next Mrs. Mottes. 

I have attended many craft shows over the years, but this will be my first Avant Garde craft show. I am excited to be a part of it! My inspiration and creative process are pretty much the same thing – I was blessed with a fix it gene. Repurposing things or making them look better comes natural to me. Good thing, because I have many projects that I have been waiting for my retirement to get to!  My basement is full of furniture and many things waiting to be a future project. 

Meet Dawn Wallhausen of Dawn Glassworks...

In addition to being a glass artist, I am an editor and a writer, a mother of three and a wife, and co-caregiver to a big, sweet, goofy dog. I like to hike, camp, swim, draw, paint, read, and bake and I travel when I can. 

I started learning to make glass beads around twenty years ago. When I was a child, we had a family friend who made specialized glassware for laboratories. One Christmas, he made me a glass ornament with my name etched into it. That ornament is the first thing I can remember sparking and deepening my interest in glasswork. The mosaics came along a little later, but I have probably been making them for around fifteen years. For me, glass is an inspiration in itself. I love the million different shades, opacities, and textures. But all kinds of art and artists provide inspiration, too. Paintings, photographs, and three dimensional art of all kinds can spark an idea. 

I mostly do glasswork as a hobby and give much of what I make away as gifts or donations to fundraisers for causes I support, as I have a full-time job as an editor. I do like to do a show around the holidays, though. I'm happy to work this way, but I wouldn't resist if my glass art took off. 

Some of the things I make are purely artistic expressions, but I do like to make things that are both practical and interesting to look at. That is why you will find small housewares decorated with my lamp-worked beads and trays or storage boxes covered in stained-glass mosaics among the jewelry at my table. The main message I wish to convey is that art and beauty make life infinitely better. This is my first Avant-Garde show and I am so excited!

2019 Pittsburgh Winter Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, December 7, 2019 - 10:00am-5:00pm

Teamsters Local 249 Banquet Hall

4701 Butler St

Pittsburgh, PA 15201

For more information, contact Amanda Look, Event Coordinator at Amanda@ag-shows.com

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