(Audrone Eidukiene)

All Creatures Winsome and Whimsical

by Pam North

Audrone (Audra) Eidukiene was born (and still resides) in a small Lithuanian town called Klaipeda, on the Baltic Sea. Her mother was a civil servant who worked in the city archives, and her father worked as a factory foreman. In her early youth Audra never engaged much in creative works, with the exception of some knitting and embroidery as leisure activities. However, she always felt within herself that she could be an artist, perhaps because there were some musicians and painters in her family. "In my father's spare time, he enjoyed making jewelry, as well as paintings from metal," she explained, "and my sister creates stunning dolls, so probably some of that creativity is in our genes,” she reasoned.
Audra’s higher education led to her career as a specialty construction technician; she worked in a construction factory’s laboratory, checking the strength and durability of the products, and also worked in the sales area. She has been married for more than 30 years, and has two daughters and a two-year-old granddaughter.
Her own unique artistry, while dormant, would not be denied and inevitably demanded expression. It didn’t happen suddenly, as she had been working in the sales field for a very long time before she had some free time and the desire to create something beautiful. Initially she made jewelry, which proved to be not only an enjoyable leisure activity, but also a source of additional income. Her jewelry was a great success, and she still makes pieces, especially around Christmas time.
The shift to her true calling in life happened unexpectedly. “My sister participated in a womens’  creative forum, where women made things and shared tips,” she related. “One day the group decided to sew teddy bears. My sister offered me the chance to join her in the sewing class because I had often told her that I wanted to learn to make a bear. Although my sister decided to stay with her original preference of creating dolls after that, my own experience was different. After trying bear-making, I couldn’t stop; it became my hobby, and it has been my permanent job for nine years so far. I am very thankful specifically to my sister, who encouraged me to create my teddy bears and ultimately my other animals.”
At first Audra sewed simple bears with embroidered muzzles, then progressed from there, little by little. Needle-felting came later, when she noticed that more interesting characters could be created with the needle-felting technique. She needed more information about it, so she took a lesson with a famous Russian artist. “In the beginning, I only created bears,” she continued. “While my style was forming, I was happy to watch how different and funny they would become as I worked on them, and I loved them all very much. Over time, I thought I might try to create other animals as well. Of course, the first attempts were not successful completely, and it took a lot of patience and experience to evolve. I think that in those nine years I have really improved. Comparing my works now and then, I can see a huge difference over a long time, but what is perfection in art? For me the perfection is when I look at the piece of art and I see its liveliness. Anyone can sew a toy, but not everyone can bring life to it. You have to feel it. I like to look at animal photos and explore their facial expressions. That’s my creative inspiration. My task is to give liveliness and some humanness to my creatures. Because of that, my animals wear clothes and often have happy smiles. I really love creating positive-feeling animals. The most positive teddy bear in the world is Paddington. I remember he was a huge inspiration to me.”
She sews her delightful creatures by the usual teddy bear techniques, connecting the parts with joints for mobility in their arms, legs, and head. She uses natural materials like high-quality mohair or alpaca furs, and the animals’ heads and limbs are connected with pressed discs and metal pins. The bodies are stuffed with polyester filling, and her use of steel pellets to provide weight and balance allow the animals to stand alone. The whimsical and endearing expressions come from their glass eyes and the artfully applied shading that brings their faces to adorable life.
She finds her biggest challenge is forming the creature’s face. “I normally make it from needle-felted wool, which is quite a long process to successfully execute the desired forms. The last process, shading/painting, is what gives me the most pleasure. I totally dive in, and it just overwhelms me. I am always so excited by the anticipation of the final result, and I can’t wait to look into the creature’s eyes, because the eyes are what give the most vitality.”
Her working space is not huge, encompassing a small chest of drawers with a folding desktop. She loves listening to relaxing music, a definite aid to her creation process. “In the future I am planning to have a separate work room, because it’s getting difficult to fit into my present space because of an increasing amount of materials,” she commented.
Audra at first sold her works in the specialized art boutiques in Lithuania, but now merchandises them on the Internet, primarily on Bearpile.com, where she has been a long-term member. She also has numerous private orders from all around the world, and some collectors send her photos of their pets, requesting her to create a similar creature.
Over the years, Audra has gained much experience in sewing, and she enjoys giving useful advice to beginners, never refusing to help. So far she has not taught seminars. “Unfortunately I don’t organize private workshops. I am a very self-critical person, and have doubts that I could be a good teacher. Moreover, it would be difficult for me because of lack of time. I am too involved right now in my work and the creation process. I want to improve, to continue to do what I do at the moment but do it even better, and to try new techniques. In the creation process there are so many untried areas, so I still don’t know where that path will take me.”
Art always will be in demand in her view. “I think there will be even more creative people in the future. Over the years collectors are increasingly looking for handmade items that have artistic and lasting value. So I think artists can expect better sales in the future, as there is great communication between artists around the world, with exhibitions and meetings, online shows. The press and advertising are also very helpful for artists. I am so happy that there are so many wonderful creators in the world. I frequently check out their works, admiring them, comparing them with mine, and sometimes getting jealous (in a good way)!” she joked. “It gives me the inspiration to create, to evolve and not rest on my laurels. There is huge competition at the moment; there are so many wonderful artists. Collectors are understandably looking for unusual works, so to be noticed, you have to be innovative, have your own style, love what you do, believe in yourself, and not be afraid to try the new. That is all that I wish for all of the artists and myself.”

Contact Information:
Name: Audrone Eidukiene
Email:  audrae@mail.ru
Website:  https://www.bearpile.com/audrone
Telephone: +37061430052