My name is Olga Barannikova; I was born and raised in the small town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region, Russia. I remember when I was a kid my friends and I collected priceless "treasures" - beads from mothers' and grandmothers' torn necklaces, or found on the street, or donated by someone. All treasures were carefully placed to the boxes and kept as the apple of the eye, and only the closest ones were allowed to see this handful of beads.
Slowly passion for collecting and contemplation subsided, but a great desire to create beautiful things appeared. The fact that something different from plain strands can be done from beads did not even occur into my head and all my creative energy was directed to another peaceful direction: for example, my mother taught me to crochet, cross-stitch embroidery and knit.
For a long time I've been working hard and fruitfully making macrame and my whole apartment was stuffed with woven pockets, plant pots, murals, magazine racks and so on. I've switched from one type of craft to another many times without stopping. Studying at the University (I learned physics and mathematics at the Belgorod State University) temporarily got me out from creative exploration.
I enthusiastically studied and the student's time left no time for handwork, but then I wanted to do that with double power. And once again I was running in a circle making embroidery, knitting and macrame, until one day when I decided to marry. The search for a wedding dress was pleasant and tedious and everything was ready except jewelry...
What was offered in stores, I absolutely didn't like. The situation was saved when my future husband brought me to the website www.biserland.ru with online bead school beaded and many beadwork photos. Then, in 2002, for me it was an incredible discovery that beading meant not only stringing! Based on the pictures and without any tutorials and patterns, I wove a small wedding necklace and earrings. Then, 13 years ago, my first beadwork seemed a real masterpiece!
I wore this wedding jewelry and officially entered the virtual beading school. Over half of the lessons I was a good student properly working all tasks. And then a creative hunger began - I felt what has been given in the school was too little, so I was looking for anything that was associated with beading: books, magazines, patterns, tutorials, beadwork photography, etc. At that time I was highly impressed by jewelry of Angelica Susoenkova, her beadwork was my source of inspiration and I still respect her dedication to beading.
Gradually library schemes and other materials increased, and my skills and understanding of the principles of weaving improved with it. I didn't want to repeat someone else's designs, I wanted to create my own, but it was likely too early. Moreover, my creative work faded into the background at all with the birth of my son, or rather, it has even temporarily gone out of my life.
It was a much-needed break, which gave me an opportunity, rather "starve" and systematize already acquired knowledge and skills. And as soon as there was spare time, my beading work has begun "to boil". In 13 years of working with beads, I came to the several conclusions: anything can be a source of inspiration; there are no unnecessary materials; periods of creative crises are inevitable and necessary, as well as ones of creative enthusiasm; there is no limit to perfection; the accuracy is just as important as the design (and sometimes, it seems to me, is more important).
I really like when the work can be done fairly quickly, without interruptions. If something distracts me from my work for a long time, the work may never be completed. Every time I start working on a new piece the duration and my enthusiasm are "inversely proportional" (the longer I work on it - the less I'm in good mood). Each piece begins in different ways - it can be a new or a rubbed up to holes sketch. It may not be anything, just a certain feeling and state of mind. But there is one thing common to all designs - the joy of creativity.
It is very interesting to work on a given topic, when you have to create something that corresponds to a particular theme or from pre-defined set of materials, or, for example, to work only in the specified colors. Such restrictions are mobilizing inner resources and it's very nice when it turns to surprise anybody or even yourself. So, something like that happened my work of "Midsummer Night's Dream" for the Fashion Colorworks 2015.
I removed all my "strategic" reserve reminding the first triad colors, and the stock turned out to be a solid and unusual. I basically only use glass beads and gemstones, but I want to expand my horizons, to learn to work with other materials and combine them. The competition contributed to this. Lace and bamboo ring wonderful appeared to be "good friends" with beads and taught me to work with it in different media.
I love soutache though I'm still learning soutache embroidery; I dream to create such works as masterpieces of known artists Anneta Valious and Irina Sidina. There are lots of new materials, new techniques and interesting masters. I'm happy when there is room to grow, something to learn, something to strive for!
In my city of Belgorod creative people found each other and united in a society "Masters of White Mountains" which I belong to since its inception; communication with peers always influences a beneficial effect on creativity. In 2011, the city administration awarded me the title of "People's Master of the Belgorod region" for my active creative work, teaching and assistance to other craftsmen.
My gallery on MyLovelyBeads.com
About author:
| Olga Barannikova, Shebekino, Belgorod region, Russia | |
| Email: | olgabarannickova@yandex.ru |
| Online shop: | www.livemaster.ru/barola |
| Facebook: | facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006454919075 |
