About Anja Zander of ZanaWoodArtZ
Most of her work is now only made of domestic wood and driftwood (until her stock is used up, you can still find exotic wood pieces in some of her smaller projects). Anja also reduced the use of shellac and varnishes. Instead, she makes her own eco-friendly finishes, which are mixtures of mineral oil and local bees wax (Apex Bee Company https://www.apexbeecompany.com/).
Awards
9/2019: 2nd place in Catonsville, upcycled driftwoodlamp
10/2018: Best Booth Presentation at Patuxent River Appreciation Days (PRAD)
5/2017: 2nd place in North Beach´s Sculpture Competition, Driftwood Sculpture "Chesie"
Membership
Annapolis Woodworker Guild (https://www.annapoliswoodworkers.org/)
Artworks@7th, North Beach (https://www.artworksat7th.com/)
Calvert Artists´Guild (https://calvertartistsguild.org/)
Unique Boutique of Southern Maryland (https://www.uniqueboutiquesomd.com/)
Anja comes from a little town in Germany close to the Dutch border. In 2012, Anja moved with her husband Michael Gonsior to Saint Leonard in Maryland. Here she finally got the chance to work with wood. Started as a hobby-woodworker besides her regular work as an archaeologist (her focus lies on South American/ Andean Archaeology), she realized that woodworking is more than a passion and in July 2017 she opened her woodworking/art business ZanaWoodArtZ. Her work includes wood art, functional objects & home decor made of domestic wood and driftwood. Some of her pieces also include other materials like sea glass, ink or metal leaf. As a new category, Anja started to integrate abstract wood photography into her repertoire.
At the beginning, Anja was amazed by the grain and color variations of exotic wood types like purpleheart or leopardwood. But, with the reduction of the rain forests, the long shipping distances of exotic wood types, and the general environmental impact of human activity on earth, her focus shifted to more sustainable woodworking methods.