This week we are traveling down, way down almost upside down ‘To The Great Southern Land’. Welcome to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.  Adelaide is an ‘artsy’ city and hosts many festivals including “The Big Day Out”, “The Festival of Arts” and “The Fringe Festival”. It is home to well known musicians including rock legend Jimmy Barnes of Cold Chisel.  While the town has much pride in its famous Rocker, this vibrant city has also another claim;  Wire Artist “extraordinaire” Natalia Bondarenko behind Realisations Creations

jb:*WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST?

nb: I’ve always loved art, in many forms.  I studied classical music as a teenager, and often begged to be left for the day – blissfully alone – at the Australian National Art Gallery during school holidays.  I’ve long had a fascination with Art History, and also what inspires other artists.  I try to draw on all these areas when creating my own work.  I find it most rewarding when I’ve had an idea for a very long time – ruminating somewhere in the back of my mind – that I am able to bring to life.  There is nothing quite like it!

sutanvito

jb*CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

nb: For the past couple of years I’ve been doodling and sketching in a couple of special ideas books, and often find the medium of a pencil on paper will iron out some design flaws even before I start with my cutters, pliers and wire.  I have been known to search long and hard for a particular gem to incorporate into one of these planned designs.  For my more ornate wire wrapped designs, I nearly always start with a wire frame that is carefully shaped, hammered, tweaked, and then wrapped in a much thinner wire.  From there on in, the design dictates the process.

the sketching

the process

the completed piece

jb*HOW DO YOU PROMOTE YOUR WORK?

nb: I strongly believe that word of mouth is still the best form of advertising.  That said, I do sell online, so promoting online makes sense!  I have a blog, where I am totally self indulgent and blog about my designs, about aspects of my life, and artists that inspire me.  I also twitter and use Facebook.  I currently stock galleries and shops that have also been fabulous in promoting my work (I’ve been exceptionally lucky in the choices I’ve made there!) and I also am part of an organization called ItchyPod which promotes South Australian Art.

unfurling

bumblebee

calypso

jb: *THE BEST ADVICE GIVEN TO YOU THAT YOU WOULD PASS ON?

nb: When I first started selling online I remember being completely devastated  by some feedback from a very kind friend who told me that my photos were awful.  But, I took that on board and looked at my photos with fresh eyes – they were indeed cringe-worthy!  I suppose my advice would be – if you ask for feedback, and you trust the source it is coming from, act on it!

plumage

london fog

jb: *YOU HAVE THE MONEY AND FIVE MINUTES… WHAT WOULD YOU BUY AND WHY?

This is such a tough question, as I have a list an arm long of things that I would like in my home – one day!  As we currently have a miss-matched set of dining chairs that are teamed with a stunning Jarrah and rock maple dining table (built for me by a talented boat building friend). I think I would have to go for those fabulous dining chairs designed by Australian Iconic Designers Charles and Ray Eames from Living Edge.

To find more about Natalia and Realisations Creations just follow the links below!

Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/realisationcreations

Blog: http://realisationcreations.blogspot.com

Thank you Natalia!