(Olena Makeienkova)

Natural Bear Reflections

by Pam North

Olena Makeienkova remembers well when teddy bears became important to her. “It was in 2012 when I first saw a teddy bear, and it was love forever at first sight! The world of Teddy has devoured me so completely that I cannot imagine my life without bears. My very first bear was a small classic one of mohair, sewn at a master class. This was not enough, however; I dreamed of creating my own designs. That vision has created many plans and patterns for successful bears....and a few not so much.” Reflected within her statement is the dedicated effort invested in the learning process and artistic evolution of her creations, and her refusal to allow mistakes to discourage or deter her.

While her first bears were very sweet and loved by her family, she finally realized that she was most fulfilled when she created bears that reflected a naturalistic style, and she directed her efforts in that direction. “I wanted to create my own unique bears that people would recognize as mine at first sight,” she explained. She has mastered that goal superbly, as her bears have a wonderful identifiable quality that blends realism and personality into a supremely winning combination. It is easy to see why any collector would treasure one of her bears as an addition to a collection.

Olena was born and lives in the city of Dnipro, in the beautiful country of Ukraine. In her school years, she dreamed of being a circus artist. “From the age of 11, I studied in a circus studio, and even entered the arena of a large circus as an air gymnast several times. I did not even imagine another profession for myself, but life made its own adjustments, and after graduation, I went to study at the University of Chemical Technology. At the same time, I also was enrolled in the trampoline section in a circus studio. These were the wonderful years of my carefree youth.”

After graduation, she married, later giving birth to a daughter. The circus and training on the trampoline went by the wayside as she devoted herself to raising her daughter. “My life changed dramatically, but being a mother is the greatest happiness,” she rationalized. Now she has a large family: parents, brother, sister, nephews, husband, and beloved granddaughter. “I am a happy wife, mom, and grandmother. My family is proud of my success, and they fully support me.”

After her daughter grew up, she went into business, first with a salon of wedding dresses, then she opened an atelier for sewing hats. In parallel, she learned how to crochet, and mastered amigurumi, the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. For many years she was a leader in knitting toys, teaching master classes that were translated into different languages for the craftswomen all over the world who still knitted toys,

More recently, she has attended international exhibitions, where her work was appreciated by both collectors and award juries. Her bears have won many prizes: Winner of Teddy Land 2012; Winner of Euro Teddy 2018 and Audience Award; Golden George (Nature Category) 2019. Her bear entry in the URSA Awards 2020 has made it to the finals, with the end of the contest still to come. The exhibitions have inspired her creativity, opening a huge and exciting world for her as she discovered many new directions in artistic styles and new realms of competition.

In her work Olena uses all kinds of materials: faux fur, natural alpaca fabrics, mohair, glass eyes, fittings, holofiber packing, silicone granules and mineral granules for live weight, Lockline skeletons for mobility, polymer clay, silicone and much more. “I pay special attention to the quality of materials, and order them from special stores and factories around the world. I really love and respect my collectors, so I use only the very best materials.”

One of the most intensive aspects of her craft is that she considers absolutely every detail as important. “After all, if there is even one element that is not high-quality, it will affect all the work, and the appearance of the bear will suffer. Therefore, I try to do everything as perfectly as possible.”

Her favorite moment in her work is when she sews the eyes of a bear. “There is some kind of magic that takes place. It seems to me that at this instant the bear has a soul, and when my bear leaves for his new home, then part of my soul and my great love leave with him. My bears live in private collections around the world, which makes me very happy. I cannot imagine my life without Teddy; he is forever settled in my heart. I believe that Teddy makes the world a lot better and more soulful.”

While bears are a primary focus in the range of animals she makes, there have been other interesting critters in her zoo. “Nature gives me inspiration. I can endlessly review photos of living animals, especially bears, but there are so many other beautiful creatures on this planet that I also would like to make. In my menagerie there already are cats, dogs, wild cats, koalas, raccoons, pandas, rabbits, gorillas, foxes, wolves, kangaroos, polar bears, foxes, wombats, orangutans, tapirs, and lemurs. I have big plans to make many more other animals, even a Pegasus and a dragon. There are so many more to come.” She sells her animals at exhibitions and online (Pinterest, Bear Pile, Tedsby, eBay), and she also has Facebook and Instagram pages.

The biggest fan of her work is her beloved granddaughter, Alexandra, who is 6 years old. “She believes that I have the best profession in the world.,” Olena said. “She loves all my bears, but especially loves cats and all cat-related animals. She often comes to visit me, and always wants to play in my studio. She combs my creations with special love, plays with them, and treats them very carefully.” 

Olena has her own workshop where she can fully devote herself to combining her love of creativity with the implementation of many different techniques and materials. “In this business, one needs to be able to handle not only a needle and thread, but also to work with a hammer or drill, understand pliers and cotter pins, be able to tighten screws and twist wire, and also to be a sculptor, carpenter, and locksmith,” she explained. It would seem that she has mastered all that she has undertaken.

Beyond the art of creation lies another satisfaction for her. “The biggest reward for me is that collectors value my work, and accept my creations into their collections. For me, that is always a great honor. It is good to know that in other corner of our beautiful world, there are place where my work is much appreciated and loved. I find that so perfect. My bears live in many private collections, which makes me very happy. It is especially nice to look at the eyes and smiles of collectors when they hug my bears. There is incredible energy in the communication at exhibitions, and it always inspires new creations for me!”

Contact information:
Name: Olena Makeienkova
Email address: acc19@uа.fm
Email address: yaimakeenkova@gmail.com
Website: https://olenamakeienkova.tedsby.com/
https://www.bearpile.com/ElenaMakeenkova
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003297878497
https://www.instagram.com/emakeenkova/?hl=en
Address: Yantarnaya 79a-6, Dnipro, 49108 Ukraine
Phone: +380667636262