Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to David Zvanut. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was in college pursuing a BFA and working as a cook in restaurants. One job had me cooking catfish in a place called Captain Catfish. The manager told me she did not like catfish, so it was OK to keep all the food under heat lamps until it was not good, as we had many slow nights (I wonder why). Another restaurant fired me after I did not show up for my early morning shift even though I warned them I would not be there because my son was being christened that morning. That was the last time I worked for anybody but myself, and art was the way I would escape.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My earliest memories are of making scribbles on paper, then filling in the shapes with different colors. Growing up I was constantly making things with my hands. My time was occupied building plastic and wooden models, scrap wood playhouses, homemade kites and toys. My mother started taking painting lessons when I was in high school, and she let me play with her materials. I had some early success and encouragement, but I had no formal training in art until enrolling in the BFA program at East Texas State University. When our son started kindergarten I went back and completed my MFA degree there.

My wife was a full time teacher and we lived in a relatively low-cost area, so I was free to pursue an art career full time. My concentration was painting, but I gradually began building found object sculptures, which lead me to using scrap glass as a medium. A local stained glass shop hired me as an apprentice, and from there I expanded my skill set to making leaded windows and fused glass.

Currently I make non-traditional custom chandeliers and lighting fixtures, functional glassware, fused glass panels, leaded panels, and custom slumped glass lampshades. I am not interested in making traditional designs. I much prefer clients who are not afraid to allow me to experiment and come up with something unique to them and their needs. I take time to communicate with my clients and send them production photos as their project progresses. My goal is for the client to be completely satisfied with the results of our efforts.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Freedom. I can work in my home studio most anytime of day so it’s easy to balance family life and domestic responsibilities with my client’s needs. I try to design a project’s schedule so there is little pressure about deadlines. I enjoy my studio time so it’s not really work, it’s play.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My last semester of graduate school started rough. After graduating with a BFA I took a few years off from school to help start my family. During that time I had some moderate success selling my large abstract watercolors. When I started in the MFA program I had been making the same type of paintings for several years, and I continued the series. By my fourth semester the faculty was not seeing enough progress in my work to warrant a MFA degree. I could see I had to make a radical shift in the direction of my work if I wanted to graduate at the end of that semester. I ended up changing my primary medium from watercolor to acrylic paint, and incorporating collage and some social commentary. The response from the faculty was enthusiastic, and I graduated on time.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://zvanut.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@davidzvanut7171
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELAl1ZPEGAE

  https://www.callforentry.org/public-art/