Holiday Weekend Artist Spotlight #1

Today’s artist is involved in BreyerFest in more ways that one.  In addition to being a staple in the BreyerFest Artisans’ Gallery, this artist also contributes to the academic side of BreyerFest through her seminar presentations and to the hands-on side of BreyerFest through her workshop contributions.

Meet – Jennifer O’Donnell Danza of Healing Heart Art Studios!

From Pennsylvania, Jennifer first learned about BreyerFest through an issue of Just About Horses magazine back in 1990.  It became a bucket list goal for her to attend one day after that, and in 2004, she finally did!  Though she wouldn’t attend her second BreyerFest until some years later (not until 2015), since then, she’s been in annual attendance.  She began selling at the Clarion in 2016 out of her room and participated as an official Artisans’ Gallery seller for the first time in 2020 for the virtual celebration of BreyerFest: Celtic Fling.

Jennifer is currently having a love affair with ceramics and clay and everything she’s creating these days begins as a vision in ceramics.  To her, there is nothing like forming the clay into a horse and knowing that after a trip to the kiln, it will come out as a beautiful, shiny piece of art.  In addition to this work, Jennifer also works in professional writing and illustration and is never without her sketchbook.  She says, “The moment I see a horse I want to draw it, paint it, or sculpt it.  I can see the finished piece completed in my head and that urge to create what is in my head just takes hold.”

Jennifer’s earliest inspirations on this artistic journey came from the “How to” pages of issues of JAH magazines, but today she finds she is inspired most by all the new molds Breyer is creating.  “…[there is] exciting energy all around, which is causing a huge creative ripple effect in the entire industry,” she comments.  This makes her excited to share her work.  She says that everyone’s unique visions inspire her to keep creating.

For the Artisans’ Gallery this year, Jennifer is most excited to showcase her new Limited Edition sculpture, “Lil’ Lima & Bean” in earthenware ceramic.  If you can’t wait until BreyerFest, you can find Jennifer’s amazing work here.

As well, VIP and All-Access ticket holders can learn all about repairing their models with Jennifer during her “Repairing Horses” workshop, which will be available to view on-demand all weekend long.

VIP and All-Access tickets may be sold out, but ALL ticket holders can shop the Artisan’s Gallery during BreyerFest weekend.  Get yours here!