(Klavdiia Kolodnytska)

The Visions That Dance in Her Head

by Pam North

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, into a family of engineers, Klavdiia Kolodnytska had dreams since childhood of becoming an artist. Her grandmother, and great-grandfather before, were artists, and some of their knowledge was lovingly passed down to her. Her parents, however, did not consider being an artist as a  promising career; therefore, after her graduation, a decision was made for her to pursue what they viewed as a more serious profession. So Klavdiia entered the National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", in the Applied Mathematics department. She worked as a programmer for several years, then as a travel agent for a few months before her daughter was born.
She had had some early formal artistic training with four years at Kyiv Children's Art School #10, which offered classes in sculpture, design, painting, and decorative arts, but during her career years, there were no creative endeavors in her life. Missing that element, she began to look for a hobby for herself, in the process discovering the wet needle-felting technique. “I was pregnant, and it turned out that my enlarged tummy was an excellent substitute for the desktop as a convenient place for a felting mat!” she recalled. After first using the technique to fashion scarves and felted flower-shaped brooches to accent them, in 2013 she discovered toys as a medium for needle-felting for a couple of years, then switching to the mixed-felting technique for her animals, and creating their bright colors through the use of oil paints and pastels. Through trial and effort, she has greatly evolved in her craft. “I use high-quality furs with natural or artificial hairs, natural wool for needle-felted faces, glass eyes that I paint myself, polymer clay, doll armatures and wire, as well as materials for stuffing and weighting,” she explained. She constantly adds new details and techniques to her toys so that they become better and better. After two years of making toys using the dry needle-felting technique, she switched to mixed-felting and detailed teddy bear construction. This added the ability to change the position of the head and limbs of her creations. “By using a doll skeleton, reinforcement, and furs with more elastic foundations in my work, they can be easily moved into different positions. To learn new techniques, I attend, with great pleasure, master classes given by many of my colleagues, and I already have participated in more than dozen such events.”
Klavdiia considers the greatest challenge in her work to be the creation of a harmonious and original character for each toy, including the selection of all the materials necessary to achieve that goal. She especially loves the felting and tinting aspects because it is at these stages that the toy assumes its form and personality. It is her masterful use of shading that brings such vivid life to her characters.
Her workplace is an essential element: “There is a shelf above my desk with all the necessary tools. On a separate table stands my faithful friend, the sewing machine. My work materials can be found everywhere: in cabinets, bookshelves and even in drawers under the bed. My desk is constantly in a state of a creative mess! In the process of constructing a pattern, I begin to think through the details of a character, and gradually bring all the necessary materials to the table. So, usually closer to the completion of the toy, there is absolutely no free space left there, and the table is cleaned only after the finishing of the toy. I also take work with me on a regular basis. While my daughter plays on the playground, I sew the parts or needle-felt the face. Interested onlookers (perhaps would-be teddy bear makers) often give me dozens of tips.”
She has been selling her products, first through Etsy, then on eBay and Bear Pile, and she posts photos of the creation process on her social network pages. When people see a toy they like during its tinting process, they can reserve it, after which she sends a photo of the finished work for the client’s final decision to purchase. She also does special orders, finding pleasure and inspiration from embodying new and unusual client ideas into her work.
Inspiration, an essential ingredient in every artist’s focus, is close at hand to Klavdiia’s heart. “My main muse is my daughter Sofiia. You can see her features in almost every toy – her big eyes, snub nose, or sly smile. Also, new ideas can visit me absolutely everywhere! I see a store product in a  package with a beautiful combination of colors or prints, and I think how cool some animal would look in such interesting colors. A character already is beginning to take shape in my head.”
The future for artistic animals beckons Klavdiia with much promise. “I believe that our toys will gain more popularity in the future. New people learn about this art form almost every day, and find something interesting in it. Perhaps someone wants to perpetuate the memory of their deceased pet; someone cannot have or afford a real pet, and a toy can be a replacement; someone decorates an interior with beautiful creations. More and more new artists appear; they mix techniques, apply new materials, create new characters. The limits for creativity are constantly expanding; therefore, the number of people who like our art and are interested in it also are growing.”
As for what’s next for Klavdiia and her creations, she has begun to turn more towards fantasy in her work, imagining either real animals in fantastic colors or completely fictional characters. She also plans to pay more attention to exhibitions and shows in the future in order to acquaint more people with her work, and to compete for more awards at prestigious competitions.

Contact Information:
Name:  Klavdiia Kolodnytska
Email:  klavusya.k@gmail.com
Website:  Facebook, Instagram
Address:  Ukraine, 04215, Kyiv, prosp. G.Gongadze, 22, ap.10
Telephone:  +380956955906