Beaded miniatures by Svetlana Marchuk
(Russia, Novosibirsk - April 2005)
Lovely miniature compositions of Svetlana Marchuk are made of beads with much love and attract rapt gazes of the observers. What is the secret of such charm?
Probably, the secret is that all of them were created with author's power of observation of the unique natural forms. Everything is rather simple – natural color of beads, the contours of leaves, the shape of tree crowns, fruits and flowers of trees exactly noticed by the author.
Svetlana, will you tell us about your passion to beads?
The first time I ever help seed beads in my hands was in my childhood, when my family lived in Kazakhstan. There were only four different colors, there wasn't any literature at all and anyone able 
to teach me how to make something out of them, due to these facts my passion back then was confined to simple brooches in the shape of flowers and necklaces – which were all that my imagination has been up to.
Later on, when we moved to Novosibirsk, and my daughters were born, I came across the book by Marina Lyaukina and I bought it in order to excite the curiosity of my daughters, but it happened so that I got curious myself. I enjoyed being able to surprise my relatives and acquaintances by original and unique presents – such as, for example, Easter eggs, key chains, and just necklaces.
And when I saw the book devoted to trees made of seed beads (unfortunately I don't remember the author and the title – I didn't manage to buy it), that's when I realize that was the subject I wanted to pay more attention to, because trees turn out to be just like real, sometimes it even seems to me that the inorganic beads turn into real plants. Thus was created a blossoming apple-tree, an apple-tree with fruit, a blossoming peach-tree, a palm-tree and rowan-tree. And all of them at once became presents.
Svetlana, what is the peculiarity of working with wire?
I greatly enjoy working with wire: wire holds the shape well and at the same time it can be changed easily according to my desire, practically no selection of seed beads is done while making the tree because beads of different thickness can be used – the number of beads in a row is not important for leaves, only the length of a row matters, - thus the main requirement to seed beads remains only firm and lasting color. One more pleasant peculiarity of the wire technique is the fact that the makes turn out to be very long-lasting.
How do you combine your job with passion to beads?
I work as a accountant - a very hard and monotonous work, and seed beads help me a lot to relax after working days. In spite the fact that I lack time for my favorite hobby, I enjoy working with beads so much that it is very hard for me to refuse this pleasure!
Interview by Irina Astratenko / April 2005.
