Northern Nature Inspires Severodvinsk Clay Artist

Olesya Ryumina, a young mother from Severodvinsk, creates jewelry and small clay items inspired by the North. Plates, pendants, and figurines carry her love for the White Sea, forests, and nature — any twig can spark an idea.

Olesya is 30 years old, works as a designer, and is currently on maternity leave, devoting herself to creative work.

“Back in elementary school, when classmates were upset about being assigned yet another craft project, I would run to the park with a smile to gather twigs and sticks so I could start making something as soon as possible!”

Later, Olesya enrolled in an art school and spent many years of her childhood there. After finishing school, she chose the profession of designer. During her studies, she discovered clay modeling for the first time and became very passionate about it, but she quickly lost interest and gave it up. Then she tried sewing, knitting, and making items from stabilized moss; later came work with plaster and wax, and botanical bas-relief.

“But it all felt like it wasn’t mine,” the Severodvinsk resident admits. “And then I bought polymer clay. It seemed to me that I had forgotten everything and that nothing would work out, but I was wrong. After a short time, what was in my hands was no longer a shapeless mass but a small figurine that gave me a host of impressions! But the material was not very familiar, so a block of pottery clay once again appeared on my table, just like in the good old days.”

At first, the northerner sculpted for her own soul. But her items lacked durability and color.

“So I got a small muffle furnace with a 10×10 cm (about 4×4 in) chamber. With enormous curiosity, I waited for the next firing to end so I could see the result, which made me want to jump and clap my hands! This was it! The activity I had been searching for so long was already familiar, but I had forgotten about it.”

After some time, the craftswoman wanted to share her results and created a group where she showed her items.

“I was incredibly happy when I received feedback. People are interested in my work! Later I began taking part in handicraft fairs, and my items can also be found in some souvenir shops in our city.”

For the northerner, inspiration is everything around her.

“Travel, walks, adventures. I’m walking along the sea, see a small board — and immediately a picture forms in my head of how to complement it with ceramics to make an interesting little thing. Or in the forest I see an unusual mushroom — and I immediately want to recreate it. I take many photographs so that inspiration is always at hand. This is reflected in my work. Lately I’ve enjoyed complementing items with sticks and pieces of wood found on the shore of the White Sea.”

Olesya admits that she used to think about moving away, but now those thoughts are gone.

“Here I found a family, knowledge, a favorite occupation, and much more. I even have a small vegetable garden! We enjoy going on trips, but our home is here.”

More on the topic:

Jewelry by Arkhangelsk designer Natalya Krivonogova is worn not only in the North — pieces have traveled to different countries and entered Evelina Bledans’s collection. The craftswoman explained why she buys materials in Italy, how she reimagined Mezen painting, and why she does not release her work in large batches.

The Arkhangelsk region is rich in craftspeople. Earlier we told how an unusual show by a designer from Arkhangelsk took place in Moscow: models transformed into bogatyrshas (female warriors). Her work was shown at the All-Russian Fashion Week.

Also take a look at the work of a shoemaker from the Arkhangelsk region who carves amazing wooden figures.

Arkhangelsk tattoo artist Inna Koshkina turns northern nature into miniature clay accessories. In an interview with 29.RU, she told how her project “Koshkin Dvor” (Koshkin Yard) came about, what investments handmade work requires, and where a craftsperson can sell items today.