First I wanted to start a story about myself like this: "Hello, my name is Lena, I'm 30 years old, and I'm a craftswoman." Not "Bond, James Bond", of course, but also not bad. In general, it's unusual to write about myself, because I'm a journalist by profession - that is a person who asks questions to others, and he himself remains behind the scenes. Therefore, I will be brief: Elena Potanina, Stamford, Connecticut, USA.
And now let me start about beading. Beadwork is my passion and the parallel Universe. When I was twelve years old, there was a rampant trend for woven "baubles" among my classmates. Then everybody, but me, was carried away by the Pokemon, but I seriously fell in love with beading and this does not let me go until now, whatever happens in my life. I'm finishing school - and weave. I study at the university - and weave. I got married - and wove. I work in the newspaper - and weave. I went on maternity leave... well, here weaving is a sacred matter already, and you have correctly understood everything.
And then there was my spontaneous relocation from Siberia to the USA. I couldn't continue journalistic career at the proper level, but I can easily weave and embroider. Therefore, about a quarter of the kitchen cabinets and drawers in my house are now taken by my bead treasures.
Sometimes it seems to me that they are plotting to further seize the territory, and I have nothing to do with it. Materials - this is what inspires me and admires me: Miyuki beads, smooth and uniform, a variety of Czech beads, glittering faces of the Swarovski crystal elements, gimp, Italian sequins, and beautiful stones.
I often fall in love with colors and their combinations, so the idea of the Fashion Colorworks contest so bribed me. In 2017, I could not resist the fascination of the triad with Lapis Blue and Hazelnut shades. I love coffee with the aroma of hazelnuts, and this played an important role in choosing a correct combination! And after the coffee associations, the idea to create a work on the motives of Mariam Petrosyan's book "The house that..." came to me.
Despite the impressive volume, this book has been re-read and re-listened countless times: along, across, individual chapters, selected places. Frankly speaking, I don't consider my The House Where... Dreamcatcher ideal because many details and symbols have not been reflected in my beadwork.
In other words, my desire to "put" almost a thousand pages into one piece didn't comply with the submission deadline. And I so wanted to show the Forest in more details, two dragons, the keys of the Vulture brothers, Leopard drawings, the Time Master's room and much more!
Later, in the autumn, I embroidered a small panel with a fish in the tree branches, but the feeling of completeness didn't come to me. I believe that this work will not be the last one based on the "The house that..." book.
For me, the competition is not so much an opportunity to express yourself as an excuse to "plunge" into new shades of color, try new techniques and improve them, put some thoughts into my work and, in the end, create an excellent thing. And sometimes, in order to get the necessary emotional charge, even participation is not necessary. I always follow the various contests with a sinking heart and every time this is a revelation: it turns out that it is also possible like THAT!
In foreign (outside of Russia) contests Russian beadweavers always show a very high level of work and often take prizes. Therefore, I follow them with a double attention to observe complex tricks, interesting designs and sophisticated techniques. Although, probably, it sounds subjective.
By the way, as to subjectivity. Frankly speaking, as a rule, competitions are not entirely objective. On the one hand, it seems monstrously offensive, and on the other hand, contests help guess new trends, they make it possible to make projects more successful commercially, they teach to intuitively "match" with the tastes of customers.
To tell the truth, the PR and marketing specialist from me is pretty stupid, so I am happy with any such "coincidences" (I mean sales) every time, regardless of the amount I make. In general, very much depends on the attitude.
It is possible to get upset that at the end of the year my finances are not in such a fat plus as I would like. But it is also possible to stroll around Manhattan looking at jewelry stores filled with goods to the ceiling, and at some point realize, "How much jewelry in the world, but likely now someone is wearing a brooch which I made." This is an inexpressible feeling for the sake of which it is necessary to bead!
The organization of competitions is a huge work, but thanks to them new names are opened, and artists receive a huge charge of motivation. Therefore in the end I want to say a huge and warm thanks to Zoe Gutina. Thank you for the inspiration!
My gallery on MyLovelyBeads.com
About author:
| Elena Potanina, Stamford, CT, USA | |
| Email: | elena.potanina@gmail.com |
| Instagram: | instagram.com/handsomebeads |
| Etsy Shop: | etsy.com/shop/handsomebeads |
