Tanya Garvis

Tanya has always appreciated and collected fine art.  After years in the restaurant business and in marketing, she became worn out at the very prospect of continuing in those fields. One day, she happened upon some art at a gallery, and was smitten by it. She left her name and number hoping to apprentice.  Almost two YEARS later, she got the call.

After apprenticing with Dennis Berry and learning the fine process of enameling, she became convinced that she had finally found her calling. She also learned that glass and copper fused together create extraordinary visual effects. No two designs are ever the same.

She has a studio in Deephaven, Minnesota. In addition to creating art, she loves traveling, reading, gardening and ‘hanging out’ with her family. She is married with 2 teenagers.  Her husband often puts in endless hours helping build frames and gluing art. His support and that of her family is paramount to her success.

Tanya was born and raised in the Twin City area. She also spent several of her formative years living in Germany. She attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with degrees in Marketing and Psychology.

Statement

I create art because it is my (best) way of bringing joy to others.  It is also a vehicle to express myself in the brightest times and those of darkness, both personally and in the world.  It is my version of freedom.

I make each piece with hand cut copper and fire them individually with glass. One copper square can be all that is needed, other times a collage of hundreds makes it complete.  I might be considered a rebel in the enameling world as I have broken a few rules of the ‘true process’ to develop my own style.  My creations are very intuitive.  No two pieces are ever the same, making the possibilities infinite.  My studio time often drifts into the wee hours of the night, leaving me aching and sore, with a huge smile on my face, and a much-desired sense of calm.