Category: My Story

It is not always easy for me to choose and commit to paint a particular subject or theme. Sometimes I have so many ideas and desires, choosing something particular becomes stressful and overwhelming. Over time, I developed a strategy that helps me to organize this process.

I try to follow my soul and mood when I choose what painting to create. I avoid creating one theme several times in a row (like, only landscapes or only animals, etc.) and instead pick three different topics for my future paintings, for example, flowers, landscape, birds. Then I decide which particular flower I want to create, what kind of landscape I want to paint, what kind of bird I wish to make. After I choose this, then I think about more details, like, do I want to paint bouquet of flowers, flowers in the field, or just a single flower. I narrow down the options to a minimum until I have a complete image of this future painting in my head. Usually I work on three different paintings simultaneously, so I need to decide all of them before I begin the first one.

When I just can’t choose what to paint at all, I take time to look around and see what catches my eye, what excites my vision, what touches my heart in some way, what speaks to my soul. This searching might take time, but in the end, I enjoy the process of creating the painting much more.

In order to be surrounded by inspiration and find new ideas, I think it’s important to get out of the house to take a walk, go for a run, or find a pleasant coffee shop for a nice latte. Since I create paintings with wool, the only place I can create my art is inside my house. I can’t create my paintings outside, because the wind will blow the fibers away. Sometimes when I work on something complex, I might not leave the house for a week or two. Then I begin feeling uncreative and start suffering from “artist block”. I need to accept this as a sign to take a break and find a source of inspiration.

My biggest source of inspiration is nature. There are so many places to find inspiration in nature that you can list them endlessly. My favorite places I like to visit are: Central Park in New York, Sandy Hook beach, South Mountain, Watchhug Reservation. I like the peaceful solitude of time in the forest, watching wild animals scamper and play, seeing the beauty of flowers blooming, or listening to the sounds of waterfall or water lapping at a shore. When I go on my vacation I always pick places where I can be in nature, away from big cities and their bustle.

Quotes. I love reading quotes and believe that they can be a great source of inspiration. There’s so much wisdom in the words of the most successful people in history and of today. Whether I’m having a rough day and need a pick-me-up to assure myself that it’s all going to be OK, or whether I’m just looking for a mission statement for the day, reading inspirational quotes help me put one foot in front of the other and make the small or sweeping changes in my life.

Meditation. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary for me to be alone and listen to silence. I always try to find some time and place to clear my mind. The act of sitting still for a short time, emptying the mind, and just focusing on breathing, has a powerful effect on mind, body, and soul, and lets my thoughts spin away from reality.

Always trying to stay positive. This is the most important thing in accomplishing anything. If you enjoy life, accept all the challenges it gives and perceive them as new adventures, you will assuredly succeed. I’m trying to surround myself with positive things. Enjoy what I do, do only what I love and never give up!

Inspiration, truly, is everywhere and can be found all around us if we just take the time to stop, look, and truly appreciate everything that life has given us, even in our toughest moments. From sunrise to sunset, from the morning cup of tea till the supper of the night everything that we cum across, everything that we see, feel, or hear is what we get inspired.

I discovered “wool painting” technique in one of my favorite book stores in Saint Petersburg, “Bukvoed”, in 2014. This store has a huge selection of everything, not just books, but also games, puzzles, stationary, souvenirs, etc – basically “Barnes & Noble” combined with “Michaels” which is why I like to shop there. My wandering through the store took me to art and craft department where I noticed a “painting with wool” kit. I found the description interesting and decided to try to make a picture. This really piqued my interest because the last time I was engaged in creativity was at school. I will honestly admit, my first attempt to make a picture was unsuccessful. I didn’t manage to figure out how to make a picture on my own, so I took several classes from, to my good fortune, the author of the kit who lived near me in Saint Petersburg. After attending a few classes, I understood the basics and began to create pictures by on my own.

While I was discovering this form of art, I quit my job in Russia to spent up to half a year in America with my boyfriend. I wasn’t allowed to work and this new hobby was a very welcome distraction in my downtime. So, I started create wool paintings and practice a lot to gain experience. First, friends started complement my artwork and asked me to make something for them, then their friends became interested in my work, and then somebody (I don’t remember who exactly) suggested to participate in art shows. So, in 2016, I participated in very small craft and art show in Bayonne, NJ – this was the beginning of my professional career as an artist. For several years now, I have been constantly participating in art exhibitions, writing tutorials, and teaching classes.

If you want to become the owner of one of the wool paintings or pleasantly surprise a loved one with a unique piece of artwork, visit my shop, where you will definitely find something to your liking. If you would like to learn how to create paintings with wool, check out my online classes.