When I was 6 years old, I already knew the words Sculptor and wanted to become a sculptor. But childhood dreams are often shattered and forgotten as we grow up. I was educated as a journalist. I worked in the information and advertising field, in public relations. I taught at the university. I was almost 30 years old when I discovered the wonderful world of sculptural needle felting from sheep’s wool. It started as my hobby, but I was lucky enough to fulfill a childhood dream.
My first works were funny animals that looked like cartoon characters. But with experience, as my skill grew, I took the risk of trying to create realistic animals. I confess – I was scared. After all, I never learned to draw or sculpt from clay. I’m not familiar with basic anatomy for artists. I don’t know professional tricks. I just did everything as my intuition told me.
Social networks allow me to show my work to friends and complete strangers in different parts of the world. And they love my work. I started getting orders for miniature pets. But I ran into a problem.
I was insanely interested in creating the head of a pet every time. New breed, unique traits. But here are the paws … there are always 4 of them, and they are very similar. I was bored creating these elements. There is an opinion that laziness is the engine of progress. That is exactly what happened to me. Because I did not want to make paws, but wanted to create a head, I started to create 3D portraits of pets and wild animals, which only show bas-reliefs of their heads. And it was these works that became popular among my followers on social networks and clients. Today in my piggy bank of works there are hundreds of portraits of dozens of different breeds of cats, dogs and other animals. I create miniature brooch portraits and large decorative panels. And with each new order, along with my skills, my self-confidence grows. I ventured to offer several works, first at one competition, then at others. My work has been highly appreciated. Today I can boast of my victories at international competitions and awards from exhibitions.
Felting portraits with a needle and today I cannot call it a full-fledged work. Indeed, to create each such porter, I need 5-7 full-fledged working days. Therefore, I create only a few of these portraits a year. But absolutely on every one I work with love and great attention to detail.
