My name is Ksenia Ivanova, I was born and live in Taganrog (Rostov region, Russia), which is located approximately at the longitude of Moscow and latitude of Paris - these capital cities are known to everybody. Crafts in my view of the world is a completely natural thing because I grew up in amazing costumes and hats that my mother have knitted for me. Honestly, I still don't recognize purchased sweaters - only the creations of my mother's hands!
I was very lucky in the fact that as a child, I played with the dolls with my mother. When the Barbie-like dolls started the magazine "Lola" appeared on the newsstands; it published not only pictures and patterns of clothing, but also articles about other types of craft, there I saw the first beadwork patterns. I do not recall there were the names of the techniques and bead items were offered to make for the dolls, but since I was very fond of jewelry I've tried to adapt them for myself.
When I was ten years old, the beaded baubles reigned were in fashion. They were tied directly on the hand and the number of them was worn at the same time was difficult to count: from the wrist up to the elbow! I was pretty practical and reasonable, so I wove only two bracelets from beads which I managed to get, and never wore them together.
Just think, right now these bracelets, which are still kept in my jewelry box, are twenty-two years! What results can be achieved, if I've constantly beaded all that time! But my interest in beading was spontaneous - from time to time I've made for myself jewelry pieces inspired by samples from books and magazines like "Wonderful Moments" and "Fashion": necklaces and bracelets with mounted elements, and the abundance of denim clothes which I didn't take off was very appropriate to decorate with beads and sequins embroidery.
After graduation I considered myself already knowing something about crafts, but was very happy that my work will not be associated with arts and crafts because I had a brief and not very successful experience in commission work during my university student time. At one of the exhibitions of local artists I first saw the trees made using beads, and it seemed to me that this is the area of something incredibly time-consuming. But one of my LiveJournal friends has announced that she wrote a tutorial on the beaded trees which proved that 11 trees per month - it's easy to make.
Of course I was very interested and even now I still cannot imagine such a high "speed" of "growing" plants from beads the most important thing turned out to be different. The author, Anna Corr, unfortunately, little known among beadweavers, became a person who inspired a new level of my creativity. I could not even imagine that my non-indifference to nature ever lead me to the second place in the Beaded Objects and Accessories category in the international competition!
My first tree was "harvested" from the materials I found at home. Surprisingly, this "baby" so touched me when branches trembled that I realized - I would create the beaded garden! The second bead artist who inspired me was Olga Gulidova with her fabulously beautiful work. Her book autographed is still a reference and the source of inspiration for me. I do not know exactly why I admire man-made trees, but I am not indifferent to the natural ones too!
My next step was the creation of four trees symbolizing seasons. In each of them I've tried to test new techniques and add details that might create a certain mood and seemed to tell a little story. Pondering the images that I wanted to implement, I went to look for more information - what if there is something to which many but me have already guessed? So I got on the forum biser.info, where the world of beads re-opened to me.
Stunning jewelry and toys, delightful sculptures from beads, floristic composition were created at such a high level that I was dazzled! Frankly, I have never had the desire "I want to make the same" (because everything just seemed ethereal), but suddenly a list of what I would like to try to do except trees was filled in with new items. And since then my every work had a story, image or new technique behind it which I wanted and I tried to make or bring.
To my great regret, I work very slowly, so only a small fraction of my wishes come true. In view of the slow pace of work, in jewelry I tend to create so called transformers, which might be worn on two sides or consist of several parts that you can wear separately. Quite a long time my jewelry was pretty strong - "something gray with something black." It is practical because this jewelry suitable for almost any clothing and different pieces could be combined into sets, which were not even thought of.
But I sincerely wanted to add other colors, and so the Fashion Colorworks contest caused the most avid interest! After watching how it goes for several years, one day I decided to give it a try and in 2014 ventured to submit two beadworks; one of them even went to the finals and that fact incredibly pleased me! In 2015, I also submitted two works, but none of them hit the top ten, and I really thought I would miss next year, but I was wrong!
The triad with piercing yellow, bright green and calm brown - what could be better for a tree! Frankly, I'm used to that in general making beaded trees considered to be something simple and not requiring artistic skills - to my regret, because I'm so in love with them. And I thought: "Why not? I will make for my favorite contest what I love with all my heart!"I have already noted that I work slowly, but for the seven years that have passed since I made my first tree, I learned something: I had my favorite materials, techniques, wishes for myself on details of compositions, in the end, I even learned how to solder in order to make lights on the trees. I had to do something summing my skills and desire to not lose my face.
So I had the idea to create a table lamp in the form of a tree with a dragon sitting on it near its nest with a clutch of its eggs. The triad has inspired the creation of the tree in my favorite season: early autumn with some yellow foliage, so that once you don't understand whether the lower autumn sun paints leaves in yellow color or it's time to withering.
Perhaps the lack of a clear sketch and the fear to be late played a role in my attitude to work. I was glad to not just the appearance of my "dragon" - it was euphoria, staying where I even stopped to think about whether it will be liked by someone else. My mood was upbeat, even when I viewed the the contest works fragments in my competitive category, although it seemed to me that miracles would end on this - the competition was very strong.
When my Forest Dragon Nest Lamp made the final it was a pleasant surprise, and I even had time to experience pride in the fact that the tree was noticed from the abundance of such worthy artworks, and I no longer counted on anything else. When the winners were announced, I briefly scanned the page to see the fate of my favorites (in any competition there have always been the works I wished to win) and didn't even notice and realized that my "dragon" is comfortable located on the second place in its category!
That was a surprise, which I couldn't even believe! So, I had a goal to make the kind of work that I personally adore and make it so that she liked by others. And I'm very pleased that the overall impression is not lagging behind other criteria in the competition - so to me, I managed to develop my skills to a good level. Of course, I see a lot more points to grow and I'd like to improve, telling stories in beads. My heartfelt gratitude for the Fashion Colorworks contest, which truly decorates the world and is incredibly inspiring!
My gallery on MyLovelyBeads.com
Forest Dragon Nest Lamp: step by step
About author:
| Ksenia Ivanova, Taganrog, Rostov region, Russia | |
| Email: | na_lapax@mail.ru |
| Blog: | na-lapax.livejournal.com |
