Thoughtful Thursday: Meet Annette from DragonHouseofYuen!

This Thursday, I thought I would introduce you to a new friend of mine: Annette from DragonHouseofYuen on Etsy. She is a very talented (and friendly!) artist currently living in Scotland, though she has her eye on a little piece of heaven in Norway.
Her Etsy store is here: www.dragonhouseofyuen.etsy.com
Her blog is here: www.dragonhouseofyuen.blogspot.com/
Scroll down to see a few items from her shop, and to learn a bit more about Annette!

Its That Time Again Happy Birthday Handmade Card in White with lots and lots of Grey Hares

Where did you get your name?
Dragon House of Yuen came from my love of all things Chinese and Far Eastern.
Many years ago I was learning Mandarin and Cantonese (reading, writing and speaking) and of course learning about the Chinese culture too which I find so fascinating. In particular their 12 horoscope animals, their attributes and the fact that every person has characteristics of their own horoscope animal. The dragon is the number one animal and in Chinese culture is a symbol of good fortune, authority and power (that is why it was always, and only, used by kings).
http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/Dragon.htm

In 2001 my fiance and I opened our take-away shop and being a trained graphic designer I designed all our graphics, menu, signs and business name. And of course I used the dragon symbol for our shop (which is also my Etsy avatar), and my fiance's surname. But the take-away name was an acronym - in keeping with the times and the trends! (never again!!)

One of us is also born in the Year of the Dragon. So the name is very personal! and I also love lizards!

After we closed our shop I continued to use the name for my art business. I had also made a 1.2m high papier mache mixed media dragon for our shop - just like my avatar!
(picture here) http://www.dragonhouseofyuen.co.uk/freestanding.htm

Arabella Rabbit Bag in Vintage Gold Damask Quilted Jumper donating 10per cent to WSPA

What are your inspirations?
I love animals, everywhere, all the time. And nature! Not a day goes by without me feeling a strong desire of affection for all the animals I encounter - the seagulls overhead, the house sparrows, the squirrels - my own two rescue rabbits! and I love nature more than anything.
I have to see trees everyday, and clouds, the colours and textures. Even just a leaf. I need to be in constant visual and physical contact with nature to feel normal and to be able to breathe.

(I am inspired by many other things mind you! but not nearly as much as animals and mother nature).

Baby Rabbit Angel Soft Sculpture

What about your 'real live' rabbits?
I have two rescue rabbits, Arabella and Wesley.
They have a strong aversion to each other, but at the rescue centre when I was taking Arabella down to meet Wesley - to add him to out family, and they were put in the pen together to see if they would like each other, and hopefully bond - they acted normal and disinterested. For rabbits being introduced this was a good sign!

Then when we drove home (it was an 18 hour driving day over 600 miles from Edinburgh to Rugby and back) and put them in Arabella's room they had a disagreement. I had to pick up the fur tufts from the carpet after separating them! They were locked in a ball of flying fur :( Since then they have had one more nasty fight - this time with blood and a patch of missing skin! So, I keep them separated. Arabella has one side of the flat to free-range around in, Wesley the other.

I know that they must have made a pact at the rescue centre to be 2-hour-friends so that Wesley could come home with us :)

Thanks for your continuing efforts to raise awareness about adoptable rabbits, Annette, your work is stunning and I can't wait to receive my purchase of my very own baby hare from your collection!