(Svetlana Karakuleva)

A Wondrous World of Whimsy

by Pam North

Svetlana Karakuleva is a talented Russian artist who for the past 13 years has been making delightful soft-sculptured animals. Dragons, bears, unicorns, donkeys, rabbits, gremlins, monsters, various breeds of dogs, cats, tigers, birds, monkeys, giraffes, elephants, otters, owls, kangaroos, raccoons, chickens, mice, rats, hippos, skunks, rabbits, ladybugs, zebras, piglets, quokkas; the list is endless and evolving, as there seems be no species she won’t try to create. Each is executed faultlessly, with each new animal cuter than the last. Her designs range from more naturalistic to caricature and whimsical, and each totally captures the essence of the animal and ultimately the heart of the that creature’s lucky new owner. Svetlana definitely is master of her art. Her handmade animals are in collections in many different countries of the world, and her work has received awards in several competitions. She was the winner of the Doll of the Year contest in the Teacher and Student category in 2011; winner of the Doll of the Year contest in the nomination of Teddy Bird Friend in 2014; nominee of the 2018 Teddy Master Award. She is a regular participant in in various international and Russian exhibitions (Art of Dolls, Moscow Fair, Salon of Dolls, Time of Dolls, and Teddybaer Total), and the BCA Exclusive Online Show. She also is a member of the Association of Puppeteers of St. Petersburg. In St. Petersburg, Svetlana has her own studio featuring her handmade arts. All the toys made by her are protected by copyright.
She says that the path to this art was not easy. Before that, she was engaged in interior design, and she had her own business. “My creative journey began with sculpting flowers from cold porcelain. One day I saw these beautiful handmade flowers, and wanted to make them myself. The love for new creativity was so great that I had to stop doing interiors and devote myself completely to a new occupation. I searched for information and studied, improving my skills. Then I started teaching that craft and opened my own studio of manual creativity. I wanted to develop further, so I began to master more complex techniques and materials. Beyond making flowers from cold porcelain, I now also sew animals and create collector's dolls. My joy comes from having one of my creations resonate in a collector’s heart.”
She is now 43 years old, with a husband and two children (a daughter 18 years and a son 10 years). In 2010, she  wanted to give her  daughter a doll that she had made with her own hands, to be part of her daughter’s life forever. She started learning the doll craft, and creativity absorbed her more and more. Then, in 2012, she was expecting her second child, a son, and on his birthday, she wanted to create and present a bear that she had made herself, so again she went on a quest for information, then sewed her first teddy bear. “My son is already 10 years old,” she commented, “and this bear lives with him. I understand that this bear is a little funny, and may not be as high-quality as the toys I am creating now, but he is very sincere in his character. And yes, I see growth in my skill.”
Now she works comfortably from home with her family around her, who are her helpers in everything. “It's not difficult if you love everything you do in life very much, and give yourself completely to it,” she said.
She continues to study and acquire new skills. “I am an art critic by education, I was engaged in interior design (13 years of practice), and it seems to me that my current path is the processing of accumulated visual experience. I've been studying all this time. I am learning from my mistakes, looking for new information about new and interesting materials, improving and polishing  my techniques. Now my toys are a combination of my designer experience and knowledge in working with many materials, such as fabric and various plastics, felting. I also make the eyes of my toys myself, and they have become the ‘calling card’ of my creations.” She is adept with with many diverse materials:  synthetic fibers, mohair, faux fur and faux suede, sawdust, papier-mâché, acrylic paint, lock-line skeletons, baked plastic for opening jaws, silicone for tongues, wooden stands on wheels, mounting magnets, wire,
“Images of toys are born in my head by themselves,” she continued, “I just need to capture them. Sometimes it's a desire to try this or that technique; sometimes the fabric or material dictates the animal; sometimes my collectors describe their desired characters in such detail that their hands almost are making the animals. Now my creations are formed in mixed techniques. I can come up with up to 50 new characters and patterns a year. I don't really like to do repetitions of toys, so there are a lot of different designs. I'm always in the excitement of creating a new image, and I'm always looking forward to seeing what results. It takes from a few days to several months to make a toy, depending on the complexity of the invented image and on the availability of materials. Some materials have to be searched for, ordered, and waited for.”
Svetlana sells her work online, showing it on her Facebook page and on the Bear Pile website, but it is often her sold works that are highlighted there. “Collectors write to me,” she explained, “and I’ve often been acquainted with them for many years. They order creations long before I finally actually get them created.”
Svetlana has students; she has been conducting training seminars for many years in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and she has several online courses on creating her toys (so far they are only in Russian). The schedule of classes is always drawn up for the year ahead, and there are no empty seats in almost all such classes. She appreciates her students, and her relationship with them has long grown into friendship. “Because creativity has positive energy,” she says.
She views the prospect of her forthcoming creations with optimism. “I really haven't created that much yet. I will look for new characters to please my collectors all over the world, and I plan to bring into existence many good and bright things. We're all like little kids and we need toys. I'm a bit of a collector, too. Over the years I have visited many exhibitions in Russia, Germany, and Finland as a participant, and from each exhibition I bought myself a new creation. I have more than 50 examples of such toys, and as a collector, I can say that my love for creation will not run out. I think that my collector friends will be loyal. Making such toys is an amazing and sometimes magical way to tell about yourself. Toys take over your positive energy and help make life around you kinder and more positive; they cause a smile.”

Contact Information:
Name: Svetlana Karakuleva
Business name: Svetlana Karakuleva`s Toys
Address: Russia, Saint Petersburg
Telephone: +79112876557
Email: creativa@mail.ru
https://www.bearpile.com/karakuleva
https://www.facebook.com › svetlana.karakuleva
https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=/s.karakuleva/