Saturday Art Saves: Dee Gann’s Santa

All photos from Dee Gann.

Each Saturday I focus on a different artist that I admire. From potters to painters, chefs to collectors, seamstress to songwriters, lifestyle to lovers… anyone who set the paintbrush, pastry brush, hands and heart on fire to create.

Those who inspire art to flow where it may.

Dee Gann's handmade Santas…

Photos compliment from Dee Gann.

Dee started doing craft shows at a local Mall nearly thirty years ago. "The Christmas Shows were always the best, so I gradually gravitated toward Santas." Dee explains that she started a business creating Santas when a friend came over and saw a Santa she had made, "My friend encouraged me to pursue a new adventure."

"My three workrooms are packed from top to bottom, full of over twenty five years of antiquing accumulation." Dee adds. One of my dearest friends exclaimed, "Dee, you're a hoarder." when she first saw my work/creative space.

Photos compliment from Dee Gann.

Most of Dee's Santas are created with old found treasures and fabrics from the antique and flea markets.

Photos compliment from Dee Gann.

One of Dee's favorite saying is: "Santa reminds us to think with our heart."

Photos compliment from Dee Gann.

Dee's inspiration comes from worn velvets, metal trims and any fabric or trim that lets her see that it had "a life" long ago. Dee has ordered sheep's wool for the beards from all over the world. Another aspect of making each an individual piece.

"I've always had a penchant for vintage fabrics, trims and trinkets and I think Santas are the most versatile items to make. They can be made from old quilts to fabulous velvets; even with glitz and glitter. Some or colorful while others are very mono-chromatic. My personal favorites are French Santas and all-cream colored Santas." Wrote Dee on her website.

Dee is self-taugt, before computers, she spent a lot of time in the library researching Santa's from Old World Countries, Folk lore and customs. Also Dee researched clays and compositions and by trial and error, learned to make the faces.

Photos compliment from Dee Gann.

Dee wrote, "My dad owned an Antique store and as a child, I loved watching him do his "magic" turning "one man's trash into another man's treasure". Antiquing is in my blood and I wouldn't be making Santa's if I didn't love to SHOP!"

Photos compliment from Dee Gann.

Dee continues, "I knew this was my destiny when I got a call from Better Homes and Gardens in 1990 about doing a profile on my me. The first thing the editor said to me was, "We received your letter and your timing was perfect." Little did she know that when I mailed that letter I silently prayed, "Lord please let my timing be right". I knew then that I had God's blessing and that has made me feel that my job holds a certain responsibility."

Photos compliment from Dee Gann.

Several issues later of being in Better Homes and Gardens Dee's business grew quickly. From that, she received offers and worked with four companies who reproduced her work.

Dee's Santas have been featured in many magazines and online. Dee's Santa come in varying sizes and can be custom made to the size you want.

No two Santa are alike, each is a handmade unique piece.

Dee says, "What I love about my job are the sweet compliments from people about how I have brought them joy, or how a certain embellishment has provoked a wonderful memory to surface."

Photos compliment from Dee Gann.

For more information regarding Dee's Santas please follow this link:

deegannsantas.com

Comments

4 responses to “Saturday Art Saves: Dee Gann’s Santa”

Diogenes

06 December 2014

These are remarkable. They look like they stepped right of of a Christmas card from Victorian England, in the best possible way. It is hard to tel how tall they are, though, from the photos.

Dee

06 December 2014

Tu es superbe! Merci mille fois! I SO appreciate this beautiful blog on my Santas ! xoxo I enjoy your Blog more than you’ll ever know.
My son teaches french–so he helped me with this 🙂

martina

06 December 2014

Absolutely beautiful! I’m going to go check out her website right now.

Good Grief Girdie

08 December 2014

What beautiful works of art! This lady is amazing and so so talented! Thank You for sharing her story!

French la Vie