Today’s blog is not only about Russian artist Olga Romanova who was born in St. Petersburg, the cultural capital of Russia. As it is still rainy behind the windows, the mood and thoughts are tending to go to more philosophical and spiritual realms.
Since Olga was a child, mom taught her to sew, knit and embroider. Dressmaking therefore became her main job for years. “However, I never stopped engaging in other creative activities and exploring different kinds of crafts,” says Olga about her creativity roots.
In 2013, inspired by the spirit of the ancient capital, she started creating bottles decorated with natural materials like leather and clay. This is where her brand name “Art Old Town” comes from. Around this time, her attention was caught by cold porcelain and polymer clay.
“This amazing art material has conquered me with its versatility and infinite possibilities. I just couldn't stop! There was not much information on this subject in those days. So my actual skills are the result of much trial and error,“ shares Olga her beginnings with polymer clay.
Well here in Czechia we have a saying that “The wise and skilled don't fall from the sky” - equivalent to English “There's no shame in not knowing”. You simply have to learn everything from the scratch and nobody is perfect when they start. Art is no difference. Artists have to learn all sorts of techniques and the way to work with various tools to achieve the image in their mind and in their heart. The source of inspiration and the creativity is not enough. Most of the time it is hard work, especially from the beginning it is even emotionally intense when the errors occur more often than the success.
In 2015, after Olga went through this learning process and found out that this is what she wants to do, she quit her main job to dedicate herself to art practice with polymer clay. Ever since, she tried many different techniques and styles but then finally focused on a botanical imitating look.
“I'm very passionate about my work and I'm really fascinated by creating stylized pomegranates and also flowers and berries, as realistic as possible. When the task is more difficult, when it has more details, for me it's more exciting,” shares her excitement Olga and continues: “Recently I've decided to expand my range of options combining polymer clay with bronze and silver. These experiments turned out to be very fascinating. All these new skills brought even more opportunities to my work. Thanks to this magical material, I was fortunate enough to meet many wonderful people working in different creative arts. I follow their creative development and find art inspiration in their works.”
And this is what it is all about. Learning, challenging yourself, finding your physical and emotional limits, searching your heart, finding your source of inspiration, your inner voice, your style which brings excitement, fascination, joy, more energy, more inspiration, more ideas and happiness. What else could it be than the spiritual journey many people are on right now on this planet? Art is one way to set off on that journey without even thinking of it. Art brings it by itself, no guru following needed… just the guidance of your own heart.
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