MARINA SOKOLOVA: Elena Smirnova.

This is one of my favourite felt artists, Elena Smirnova:

She felts beautiful sculptures, which she modestly calls toys. I chatted with her recently to find out more about her. Elena lives in Moscow (Russia) with her partner and numerous pets. She used to be an accountant. Elena said about herself: “After working for 5 years in an office I realised that this is not who I am. Creative pursuits constantly attracted me. I drew, sculpted, and tried doing all sorts of arts and crafts. I am a self-taught artist. I didn’t take any classes. I was just moving with the flow.”

Sculpture inspired by one of Elena’s pets, Qip:

Elena has been felting for 4 years now. She said: “I am very grateful to my spouse whose loving unconditional support allowed me to quit my accounting job and pursue an artistic career full time. If it wasn’t for him I would probably still be doing debit and credit in a stuffy office.”

“When I saw IT –THE WOOL”, she continued, “ or to be more precise an ugly looking toy made out of wool – this was the moment that changed my life. I didn’t care about the toy itself, but I was curious about how it was made and for what reason. After this event, I have collected all the info about felting which I could find online, bought the supplies and started felting my self. I fell in love with THE WOOL, with its warmth, softness, and tenderness. I found that wool is not just tactile, but also a very therapeutic media to work with.”

Another of Elena’s sculptures and another of Elena’s pets, Tyopa:

Elena particularly enjoys the process of creating a new sculpture. She first develops an image in her head. “Sometimes it comes to me in my sleep”, she said, “I think about it for a while then draw it on a paper. Then I take a piece of wool in my hands and a miracle happens. Sometimes the toy dictates the result.”

Every sculpture takes Elena about 5 of 12-hours working days to complete it. The felting process feels intimate to her. Hence she likes to work at night when it is quiet and she can fully immerse herself into the felting process. Elena said that she wants to grow as an artist and see what else the wool can do. She constantly challenges herself, tries more complicated forms, and plays with the colours.

About her sculptures, she said: “My toys are like my children to me. It is very hard to part with them after a sale. When I part with these animals I kiss them in the nose and wish them caring owners.” Most of Elena’s sculptures are one of a kind. Her customers want to own an exclusive piece that they can love and cherish. She added: “These are the toys for adults. People buy them, because they want to have something like this or because they want a felted copy of their pet. I love to see the reaction of the customers when they collect their orders. Some had tears of happiness in their eyes.”

For over a year, Elena has been teaching felting to others. She said about this: “I love to see my students develop and grow as the artists and create their own unique pieces. It is intriguing to watch how each student develops her own style and vision in felting.”