Spotlight on hurbanski

http://hurbanski.etsy.com

I found hurbanski in a discussion on the etsy forums. I clicked on her name to check out her shop because her avatar was a cute little angel--and with a mother who collects angels I always check out cute angels. What I came face to face with was a beautiful collection of richly colored stained glass angels.*

Pursuing her shop, one of my favorite things in the personality in each of these small treasures. This angel holds her wings cocked at just such an angle that she looks mid dive, another looks up mid flight, a third floats in place and looks back out at you. Despite not having defined faces, their expressions are clearly legible and comforting. Each piece has a certain softness to it, as though this angel is indeed looking out for you.

The craftswomanship and love that goes into each angel is evident in the small touches--the necklace each angel wears, the soft swirl of metal that decorates the bottom of their robe, the careful placement of the hanger so that they will fly evenly.

In addition to angels, hurbanski also offers pet angels, carp, and stained glass pendants. And, despite the fact that most seem to prefer the angels as suncatchers, they are also available as broaches and pendants.

The two images below show two examples of hurbanski's work. The first image is an everyday angel. Single angels like this one make up the majority of hurbanski's shop, although she branched out for mother's day--making beautiful mother/child angel pairs (which if anyone else's mom adores angels--go and buy them one, there is still time before mother's day next Sunday!).

This angel shows the personality that I love in all of hurbanski's work. When hung, the angel hangs at a tilt that suggests it is happily spinning, whirling through the air joyfully. I chose to show you the image below, however, because it really showcases the careful craftsmanship, the richness of the color in the glass, and the delicate details.

The second image shows one of her "pet angels", a lanky cat. Sporting a teal body and a coordinating collar, I can just see this little guy peeking out of a window. The perked up ears and straight posture show a very curious cat, carefully watching you, ready to bound over and pounce on you when you least suspect it.



The soothing and companionable nature of hurbanski's work would make any of these little angels a thoughtful gift for someone who is dealing with their grief over losing a loved one. Additionally, their rich colors would easily brighten up any window for an angel or pet lover. In the roughly five months hurbanski's work has shown a great deal of growth and with every new addition her work becomes more refined and her line more expansive. I expect great things for hurbanski's shop in the next six months as well.

*And, in the spirit of full disclosure, I immediately bought one for my mother. I gave it to her as a "going away" gift when I moved to AL, so she could have something to know I was with her and thinking of her. She adored it and immediately hung it up over the kitchen sink where it would catch the best light. For my part, I was impressed with the solid packing, quick shipping, and beautiful workwomanship on the angel. I can solidly recommend hurbanski's customer service and friendly communication as well as her gorgeous products.