Art Kaleidoscope

Winter scene with a cat. Positive painting by Russian artist Olga Velichko

Russian artist Olga Velichko
Olga’s sincere and kind paintings, filled with light, children’s fantasies and love, involuntarily make you smile. According to art critics and ordinary people, her art has a therapeutic effect on the viewer. Russian fairy tales, traditions and rituals, simple village everyday life of good-natured people are the main subjects of the artist’s paintings.

Born in Frunze (now Bishkek) into the family of artists, Olga Velichko graduated from the decorative department of the Kyrgyz State Art School (1982). In 1990 she graduated with honors from the the art and graphic faculty of the Kazakh University named after Abay. Since 1992, she has participated in republican youth exhibitions in the cities of Alma-Ata and Bishkek. Having moved to Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad, Russia in 1995, she began working as a teacher at the Children’s Art School.
Olga Velichko has been a member of the Union of Artists of Russia and the International Art Fund since 2003. Permanent participant of regional and national art exhibitions, Olga is a many-awarded artist. Her works are in the funds of the Gallery of the Union of Artists of St. Petersburg, the Kaliningrad Museum of History and Art, the Museum of N.K. Roerich in Moscow, and Russian Cultural Foundation. Also, in private collections in Russia, Germany, the USA, Poland, France, Japan, Lithuania, and more.
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Double leaf brooch-pin or pendant. Copper, patina, amethyst gem, leaves. 8 cm. Unique Electroplated Jewelry by Maria Cherkasova

Unique Electroplated Jewelry by Maria Cherkasova
Electroplating is the art of turning the beauty created by nature into exquisite jewelry. There are a lot of objects for making such jewelry around: beautiful plant leaves, flowers, fruits and seashells.
Jeweler Maria Cherkasova, who lives in the ancient Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, creates unique jewelry under her “Viva Cuprum” brand. Maria turns fragile leaves, flowers and fruits into luxurious decorations and thus grants them a long life. According to Maria, she started electroplating in 2016, when few people worked in this technique.
A self-taught craftswoman, Maria has always loved crafting – sewing, embroidering, knitting, weaving, and creating jewelry. However, once she tried to cover the first leaf with copper, she could no longer stop. “I was completely captivated by the opportunity to forever preserve the fragile beauty of nature. The best thing about jewelry made from copper-plated natural objects is their exclusivity. After all, nature never repeats itself in anything, and the process of electroplating (and especially patination) is the very drop of science, and the rest is magic!”
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Eye of the Forest Brooch-pin. Pine wood, agate, metal pin. 6.5 cm. Mila Romanova wood carved jewelry

Mila Romanova wood carved jewelry
Moscow based artist Mila Romanova is the author of fabulous wearable art pieces hand carved from various types of wood. Trained as a design artist, she graduated from university and has worked as a designer in various fields. However, the idea to do woodcarving did not leave her all the time. One day she decided to take the first step.
According to Mila, wood carving and painting attracted her since childhood, but she decided to do it professionally 3 years ago. And, as the artist herself says, “it turned out to be love at first shaving!”
Gifted wood carver and jewelry designer, Mila Romanova offers unique pieces in her “Breeze Flight” workshop. In particular, hairpins, brooches, amulets and pendants made from pine tree, oak, linden, cedar, turquoise wood, cherry tree and elm. Other materials used by the designer include natural semi-precious stones – amethyst, tiger’s eye, agate, obsidian, lapis lazuli and more.
The photo does not convey the beauty and energy of her jewelry in which the artist puts her soul. Each decoration is unique and contains details, patterns and shades that cannot be repeated. Invariably, only the quality of her jewelry, which is a true work of art.
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A sprig of blossoming almond brooch. Brass, jewelry resin, copper, amethysts, sapphires, topazes, 18K gold. Margarita Zimina Unique Jewelry Art

Margarita Zimina Unique Jewelry Art

Living in the city of Istra, Moscow Region, Margarita Zimina is the author of unique jewelry. An architect by education, she graduated from the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture by Ilya Glazunov in Moscow. However, among the many areas of art, she found herself in the embodiment of jewelry design.
Traditionally, Margarita uses hard metal threads of gold, silver, brass, and copper to create jewelry. Innovative designer, she uses the author’s synthesis of jewelry resins, which have high aesthetic and durable characteristics. In addition, quite often, she uses magnificent hand-cut gems.
Noteworthy, the technology developed by her is the result of a huge intellectual work and many years of practical experiments. Also, the accumulated experience of other specialists in various fields and tests made it possible to achieve safety, reliability, and attractiveness of the design. Equally important is the reasonable cost of her work.
Each piece handcrafted by Margarita is a unique wearable art, and the exact repetition is impossible.
According to the designer, highly qualified art historians evaluate each of her creations, and only then she puts it up for public viewing. One-of-a-kind jewelry by Zimina can be bought online and in Time-Scope jewelry boutique in Moscow.
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Oak leaf brooch pendant. Leather, copper, labradorite. 8.2 cm. Designer leather jewelry by Anna Agapova

Designer leather jewelry by Anna Agapova
Born in Tiraspol, Moldova, into a family of artists and teachers, Anna Agapova knew from early childhood that, like her parents, she would be an artist. She loved to draw, sew doll clothes, make crowns, rings from foil, and pendants from sea shells.
After graduating from art school, Anna entered the Chisinau Art School named after Repin. Then she graduated from the Kishinev University, art and graphic department.
As a student, she met an artist who made leather bags and various household items in the national style. According to Anna, these things became the main inspiration for the creation of costume jewelry. Her earrings, brooches, necklaces and pendants were unique, and not at all the same as those sold in stores.
Realizing what great opportunities the skin hides, a variety of works appeared – caskets, vases, photo albums, bags, and paintings. Having fallen in love with this material in 1984, she has never stopped working with this technique.
Anna worked in a children’s art school in her native Tiraspol for many years, and became a member of the Union of Artists of Transnistria.
Since 1987, Anna has been constantly participating in various art exhibitions, among which there were 4 personal ones. Currently the artist lives and works in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
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Kites. Sea pebbles, rocks. 25 x 34 cm. Anna Potyavina Sea Pebble Paintings

Anna Potyavina Sea Pebble Paintings
Stavropol-based artist Anna creates paintings from sea pebbles on white cardboard. Creating pictures from stones in the style of “minimalism”, Anna conveys her view on such important topics as love, friendship, and family. There are also plots with a floral theme and the theme of animals. These pictures have a minimum of detail. And the fewer details in them, the deeper meaning is revealed to everyone who looks and sees. And who feels.
Traditionally, there are two options for the final design of her stone paintings. In particular, in a wooden frame, covered with acrylic paints using the “craquelure” technique and a double voluminous cardboard passe-partout. The second option includes a professional gray plastic baguette with glass and a voluminous double passe-partout.
Living in the southern city of Stavropol, on the seashore, Anna chooses stones for future paintings while walking. The process of creation is unusually exciting, and sorting through already washed stones gives her great pleasure. Just at this time, new ideas are born and inspiration comes.
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Stunning art composition with a cow and a bookshelf with books and various details made of clay, ceramic, wood, acrylic. Olga Zadushnova ceramic designer toy

Olga Zadushnova ceramic designer toy
St. Petersburg based self-taught artist Olga Zadushnova is specializing in ceramic author’s toys. For 35 years of her creative work, Olga has created a large gallery of ceramic toys under the general name “Pottery with a smile”. Indeed, it is impossible not to smile when looking at these funny cartoon animals.
Librarian by education, Olga Zadushnova graduated from the St. Petersburg State Institute of Culture. According to Olga, she started modeling by accident. As a student, she worked as a courier at the Zoological Institute. It was there, in the taxidermy laboratory, where there was a lot of clay, that she began to make the first figurines from blue Cambrian clay. The laboratory staff who helped with the firing appreciated Olga’s talent. Noteworthy, among these employees was Olga’s future husband, who also sculpted from clay and helped her with firing.
The biggest motivation for creativity, improving skills and coming up with new ideas is her customers. “Personal orders increase the degree of responsibility”, and “what if they don’t like it” give impetus to new creative ideas.
Talented by nature, Olga is a wonderful positive person who loves animals, nature, her family, and people in general.
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