(Irina Zhila)

Creatures Clever, Cute, and Captivating

by Pam North

The artful and imaginative spectrum of Irina Zhila’s managerie of creations encompasses so many amazing creatures, each with its own singular essence and appeal. Some are droll and comical; some are sweet with shy charm; others are fantasy caricatures with funky features and quirky personalities. All are winsome and idiosyncratic, totally capturing the heart and making it mandatory that no collector will want just one. She somehow manages to give each critter that special twist or quirk of unique character while still reflecting the hallmark of her own recognizable style, not an easy feat.
Irina is a wonderfully talented animal and doll artist living in Kharkiv City in northeast Ukraine. From childhood she loved to paint and pursue her innate artistic skills. At age 13, she signed up for a stuffed toys class in which she was taught how to sew animals. After finishing school, she got married and became involved in creating her own family, giving birth to her first child early, at just 17 years of age, and after her second child arrived, she decided to pursue a profession.
Fast forward to the present, and now Irina is 44 with three children (her first son is 27, her daughter is 23, and her youngest son is 12). By profession she is a light clothing tailor, sewing clothes for people. After having to deal with some serious health problems and hospitalizations a few years ago, which necessitated her spending time engaging in rehabilitation, her life began improving in 2012, and once again she is fortunate to enjoy good health. She also took time to just relax at her computer, exploring the possibility of finding something to do for pure enjoyment. It was while browsing the Internet that she accidentally and fortuitously discovered the world of needle-felting, the process of transforming wool into three-dimensional objects using a barbed needle to pack and sculpture the wool fibers. She realized how well needle-felting would mesh with toy making, and she began searching for more complete information about the tools and materials that were needed, and how she could learn the essential specific techniques of the craft. After purchasing the required supplies, she began teaching herself all the necessary skills, quickly becoming ever more proficient over the next nine years. “Everything that I know and can do now, I taught myself,” she explained.
She and her husband and their youngest son now live in an apartment; their two older children live independently, and her new grandson is expected in the fall from her eldest son. “I work at home, in my own room, where I have a big table and many shelves,” Irina described. “I keep my creations in a cupboard behind a glass door so they don't gather dust. I make all my toys by myself, as my family is doing other work, but they are very supportive of my endeavor. My husband always has encouraged me to do my favorite thing.”
Sometimes she sews her bears and their friends, but she really prefers the process of making felted toys. “It is the final phase that I love most, because it is then that the toy comes alive in my hands. I like to paint the faces using various types of paints: acrylics, oils, or watercolors. I apply the brushable paints rather than spray-painting them. I use glass eyes, and also those molded from polymer clay and painted. In my craft I employ the techniques of felting from wool, clay modeling and cotton papier-mâché, and sewing. Cotton papier-mâché, is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, and bound with an adhesive such as glue or starch. Other materials I implement include: sheep wool, clay, cotton wool, paper, various fabrics, ribbons and beads, wire, and art paints. I imbed wire in the bodies of my felted toys for form, and also as reinforcement in sculpting dolls. When I sew teddy bears, I use wooden discs with cotter pin connections to joint them so that they may be posed. I mainly make animals; sometimes I make realistic animals, but I prefer making fantasy ones. Most of all, I love to make silly, humorous characters, and I also like dragons and giraffes very much. I have made many owls; they are so funny. Difficult animals for me to make are striped ones, and those with claws and teeth.”
Irina sells her toys on her Bear Pile website. Creating dolls came after her animals, and since 2012 to the present she has been learning different techniques to make them. In the future, she would like to participate in an international exhibition dedicated to dolls.
Most artists find certain aspects more stressful, and Irina is no exception. “The most difficult things I deal with involve special orders, or sometimes when I’m tired and my inspiration is gone. In such cases, I try to relax and do other things, and be close to my family. After a while I’ll start to miss my work, and, with new power, I can go back to work refreshed.”
Creative people find various sources of inspiration, and Irina cites hers as several. “I find my inspiration from looking at others’ works, or from pictures and photographs. Competition helps me a lot in development. When I see all those beautiful toys made by other artists, it keeps me moving forward and constantly improving my skills. I also find inspiration in nature, and the harmony in my relationships with my husband and children. Inspiration is perhaps the most important thing for a creative person.”
The quality of her work is of the utmost importance to her. “As collectors become experienced, they demand those extra touches in the artist’s product, and I try to be a master and deliver that ‘cherry on top’, so to speak. I want manual labor to be fashionable. I’m very happy that people like my toys, and that they add them to their own collections. I love my job, and put a piece of my soul in every toy.”

Contact Information:
Name:  Irina Zhila
Email:  zhilairka@gmail.com
Website:  https://www.bearpile.com/ZhilaIrina
Address:  Ukraine, Kharkiv City, Amosova Street 23, Apartment 170
Phone:  0686098809

61176, Ukraine, Kharkivska reg., Kharkiv (city) dist., Kharkiv, str. Amosova, 23 apt. 170. Zhila Irina. Phone: +380686098809.