Page 68 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2017

2016Festival STORY BY Winners
SUNDERMAN-
KELSEY hail from
FOSTER six states
BEST OF SHOW– Donald Portschy of
Greensboro, Georgia BOOTH #693 & #694 “Winning Best of Show was a complete surprise,” said Portschy.
“I remember when it happened; my wife was on the phone when someone came by in a golf cart to let me know I had won. He ended up whisking me away, and all the while my wife was wondering what was going on!”
Portschy attends between 12 and 14 art shows each year, but he was astounded by the awards given out at the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival.“The award I received is a fantastic piece of artwork,” said Portschy. “I keep it in my home and I am so proud of it.”
According to Portschy, his craft is 46 years in the making. It
all began as a hobby that he picked up after seeing a friend doing art and attending shows.“I was pretty handy and I thought I had at least some artistic ability, so I gave it a try,” he said.
From there, his style developed organically into the award- winning metal work he has become known for. His metal wall hangings won the award for Best of Show with their combined realistic and abstract designs. Each of his pieces are individually and carefully handcrafted.
“I use oxygen/acetylene to braze my metal sculpture using steel rods and cut nails as the basic foundation,” he said. “In addition to the steel base, I use copper and brass to create a variety of uniquely designed leaf sprays, trees, tropical fish and butterflies. Some pieces are also accented with stained glass, blown glass and an array of patinas to provide additional color, texture and softness.”
Portschy has attended the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival for a few years now, and originally heard about it from a fellow artist.“We enjoy coming to this festival because the people of Ocean Springs are just so happy to be living there,” he said. “It’s a wonderful town, and my wife and I enjoy being able to go out to dinner and socialize with all the friends we’ve made over the years.”
68 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • October 2017
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