A mother and a daughter, Russian handmade dolls. Slavic faceless folk doll magical power

Slavic faceless folk doll magical power

Why does the Slavic folk doll have no face? Indeed, the traditional rag doll is faceless. As a rule, not indicated, the face remained white. Meanwhile, a faceless doll, as an inanimate object was inaccessible to the evil, unkind forces to get into it, and therefore harmless to the child. In addition, it had to bring him well-being, health, and joy. It was a true miracle: from several rags, without additional details – hands and legs, without a designated face, the master managed to produce the character of the doll. The doll was emotional, it could laugh and cry.
In fact, in ancient times, the dolls had another purpose, it protected from disease, misfortune, and evil spirits. The doll took care of a man, and was called: guardian or bereguinya. As a rule, the most protective were dolls, made without needles and scissors. Also, creating a doll, a master avoided cutting the fabric, instead, he/she used to tear it. That’s why such doll sometimes was called “rvanka” (from the Russian word “rvat'” – to tear).
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A Hungarian couple in traditional embroidered costumes. Hungarian folk art embroidery Matyo Roses

Hungarian folk art embroidery Matyo Roses
Any folk art is closely connected with life, the nature and the history of each people. Known for brightness of colors and variety, national Hungarian embroidery is stunning and recognisable. Noteworthy, each region of Hungary brings its own characteristics.
There are two types of Hungarian embroidery – matyo and kalocsi. Matyo includes black background and bright silk threads for bright floral patterns. Traditionally, the main motif is a large rose located in the center with smaller embroidered motifs around it, and each of them has its own significance. Also, the colors of embroidery bear special significance. For example, yellow means sun, black – the strength of the earth, blue – sadness, and green – mourning.
However, Kalocsi embroidery includes natural motifs and white thread. Gradually, embroiderers added other colors. Now there are 27 colors. The basis is white flax. Besides, each color has its own meaning: red – youth, flowering, yellow – the sun, and a combination of blue and violet – mourning.
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Portrait of a gray cat. Beads, glass beads, buttons, river pearl. Sarah Jane Connors bead painting art

Sarah Jane Connors bead painting art
Beautiful British artist Sarah Connor works in the field of applied art for no more than 3 years, but what she creates with her own hands raises delight and admiration of the audience. Connor creates incredibly realistic pictures, using instead of paints beads, glass, buttons and other small things. Meanwhile, the main direction of her activity and the main inspiration are portraits of animals. In particular, in her gallery portraits of a cat, a dog, a leopard, a deer and a panda. And of course, the young and talented artist has many creative ideas. According to Connor, found “treasures” – pieces of broken ceramics, glass fragments and beads inspired her from childhood. So, combining love of treasure and creativity, she enjoys shopping in charity stores of second-hand things where beads and buttons are sold. In addition, even walks along the beach of Brighton also give rich material for her creativity.

And if to talk about her technique of creating paintings, Connor glues beads and buttons on wooden panels. In general, the creation of one picture takes months of painstaking work.
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Aviator. Stone Carving Art by Altai master Yury Shumov

Stone Carving Art by Altai master Yury Shumov

Born in 1983 in the town of Berezovka, in 1998 Yury Shumov entered the Lyceum in Biysk, where he studied for four years, to become “Artist-Master of Decorative and Applied Art”. At the end of the lyceum in 2002 he entered the Biysk Pedagogical University the artistic and graphic department. In addition, the same year he got a job as an art teacher at the Major Secondary School in Charyshsky District. But the prospect of teaching and long studying at the university did not inspire him. The paper and routine work interfered with self-realization and development of his own creative potential.
So, in 2003 he moved to Kolyvan, to the stone-cutting plant, and worked there as a polisher of stone products. Six months later, he was engaged in bulk carving on the stone. And all this time he, along with his brothers, built a workshop in Berezovka, bought tools, manufactured machines, collected stones, and precious materials for work. By the autumn of 2008 the workshop was ready. The first success came in 2010, when they won the 1st place in Charyshsky and Solonshensky district among the participants of the exhibition in the nomination “Handicraft production”.
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Colorful Owl, each feather hand stitched. Zara Merrick textile art

Zara Merrick textile art
The hands of a talented artist and jeweler Zara Merrick transform the scraps of cloth into a real piece of art with intricate detail. English craftswoman Merrick often uses old fabrics from her own collection, and constantly replenishes it with vintage and new fabrics from antique French and English fairs. According to Zara herself, it is embroidery itself that makes the product complete.
“I like to feel how a piece of flat work turns into something tangible, filled with various textures and patterns”, she says. Noteworthy, it takes her about a month to completely finish a panel about 70 cm high. But the result is definitely worth it! “Sometimes I myself am amazed at how I manage to create something like that,” Zara admits. Anyway, the love of creativity does not allow her to stop on what she has achieved.
Meanwhile, the main inspiration for the artist – all kinds of birds.
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Wonderful doll by Russian doll master Natalia Lopusova-Tomskaya

Russian doll master Natalia Lopusova-Tomskaya
Her art is a mystery and you need to wait for months to buy her doll. According to sources, she regularly conducts master classes, and her book is partially available on the Internet. She is a sorceress with papier mache with impeccable taste. Her dolls are elegant and recognizable. And in one single image she can create a Tale.
Natalia Lopusova-Tomskaya combines various materials, laces and beads. It gives the impression of a rich, exquisite costume that emphasizes the subtlety of the proportions of the body itself. The gamma of fabrics is usually almost monochrome or based on a combination of similar colors, creating a feeling of overflows, playing shades.
The characters of Lopusova-Tomskaya are fantasy creatures from other worlds, all sorts of elves, circus people, and sometimes – associative images. In their “communication” with the viewer these dolls are very delicate and benevolent, do not rush to “tell” about themselves, but are ready to “listen” to the interlocutor …. Just be extremely careful – you can not but get under the influence of her dolls!
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Isfandiyorxon Qabulxonasi, Xiva. Wall decor. Central Asian ornamental ganch carving art

Central Asian ornamental ganch carving art
Unique and diverse, Ganch carving is one of the most ancient arts of Uzbekistan and Central Asia. It represents a unique school in terms of artistic style and specific technical performance. According to V.V. Stasov, “This is the purest Central Asia itself, which can not be compared with anything else from everything known in the world in terms of drawing and artistic forms.”

Indeed, ganch carving in the hands of a skillful master becomes a work of art. Vegetable and geometric motifs prevailed in the ornamental structure of the art of carving on ganch. Perhaps, to this day, the Central Asian variety of gypsum – ganch would only serve as plaster for the walls and bonding material in the brickwork, if not the Uzbek masters creating ganch art since ancient times. As the Eastern wisdom says – it is not material that makes a thing priceless, but the skillful hands of a master.
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