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.”