Let's step into a world where celestial symbolism intertwines with medieval artistry, as Yanka presents a mesmerizing diptych artwork. This masterpiece portrays the essence of Day or Sun through the majestic form of a Lion, while Night or Moon takes shape in the enigmatic mythological creature Sea Wolf.
Drawing inspiration from mythologies across different nations, Yanka's diptych artwork embodies the universal symbols of Day and Night. The Lion, representing the Sun and the radiant Day, has been revered in numerous cultures for its regal nature and association with strength and vitality. From the ancient Egyptian deity Sekhmet to the Greek mythological figure Hercules, the lion has held a significant place in myth and legend, symbolizing power and nobility. It's a reminder of the power we hold within ourselves.
In contrast, the Sea Wolf, an intriguing mythological creature embodying the Moon and the enchanting Night, weaves its way into folklore from various cultures. From Norse mythology's Fenrir, the monstrous wolf, to the Japanese legends of the Tsukuyomi, the moon god associated with the wolf, the creature has represented mystery, intuition, and the transformative nature of the night. But don't look it up in Medieval Bestiaries. It was created by Yanka herself by adding the element of the sea, deeply related to Moon by means of the tide, to a more conventional image of a wolf in the best traditions of Medieval Arts.
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Complementing the profound symbolism and Medieval style, both artworks are delicately framed in antique-looking frames. These frames add a touch of elegance and authenticity, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the diptych. The gold-plated frame, cradling the majestic lion, exudes regality and grandeur, while the silver-plated frame embracing the Sea Wolf imparts an air of mystery and moonlit elegance. These antique frames provide the perfect finishing touch, showcasing Yanka's attention to detail and commitment to creating an immersive artistic experience.

Yanka's diptych artwork is a magnificent fusion of celestial symbolism and medieval artistry, crafted with love and passion. It speaks to the depths of our souls, inviting us to explore the spiritual connections that transcend time and culture. With each stroke, Yanka transports us to a realm where spirituality and medieval art become one.

​So, take a leap into the magical world of Yanka's art. Let the symbolism ignite your imagination and touch your spirit. Embrace the charm of the medieval era and allow yourself to be captivated by the profound stories whispered by her diptych artwork. It's an experience that will leave you feeling inspired, enchanted, and connected to something greater.

Yanka started to draw again!!!!

I am happy to share with you that Yanka has recently started drawing and painting again and has even learned a new technique called 'grattage'. Grattage is the process of creating texture and patterns by scraping or scratching the surface of a painting using various tools such as sandpaper, wire brushes, or even the edge of a coin or a toothpick.

Many famous artists throughout history have employed grattage in their works. Max Ernst, a surrealist painter, used it to create abstract textures and shapes, while Joan Miró used it to add texture to his paintings and create interesting patterns.

Yanka always loved Medieval art and she finds it deeply inspiring. She decided to use grattage to create would-be woodblock prints and produced a series of colorful fantasy artworks inspired by Medieval animal art. The use of grattage in her paintings enhances their texture and provides an added layer of depth, which brings her Medieval animal art to life.

These three artworks are already framed and ready to ship. They are sold together as a tryptich, and you can buy them here or in our RubyLane shops (choose your option below).

More art is coming soon! Yanka doesn't like to show her unfinished projects, but I can tell you that there  will be another Medieval dyptich 'Night and Day' featuring fantasy animals, a couple of whimsical cats and much more. So wait for it or write in the comments if you want to see it now.

Many things happened since my last blog post. First of all, we moved. We left the apartment we rented for some 15 years and moved to another town where life should be less expensive. It was a rather traumatic experience for us and for our two dogs and three cats too.

Life wasn't easy ever since, but when was it easy? Nonetheless, my wife Yanka kept pushing forward, creating more and more beautiful things and learning new skills on the way.
We opened a shop on RubyLane site and had some nice sales there in the beginning. People really loved Yanka's bead embroidered necklaces, so she kept working with beads, and created many cute beaded brooches in brick stitch or peyote technique.
Here are few of my favorites:

Click on the pictures to see more of them.

 But what about Barbie, and dresses, and crochet? Yes, it's the biggest news and the whole new product line for Yanka and for our online store. She love little things, miniatures, scaled models, and she makes them so cute, so beautiful, so detailed! The pictures ain't half as good as the little dresses themselves. Here's my best pictures so far, but if you click the button here

then youi'll see them all, and if you wanna see more just tell us!

Click each picture to enlarge it.
So' if you are a Barbie collector or know someone who collects, and loves, and plays with these dolls, Yanka offers an opportunity to enrich their wardrobe and make them truly special!
​SHE ALSO ACCEPTS CUSTOM ORDERS!

Few last months were hard on us, we both fell sick with some nasty flu, one of the little kitties that we took in before the winter cold fell sick too after sterilization, and were other troubles too, so I didn't even send the newsletter to our subscribers, because there was no news.
But Yanka kept working through all these hard times, looking for inspiration in books and ancient art, and first she created this ​MEDIEVAL LION KEEPSAKE BOX.

Click on the link or the picture to see more of it. I know that I'm a lousy photographer, but this little box really 'wanted to shine' and let me take pictures of it from every possible side and angle.

The second product is a new hoop art that I called 'Silent walk through fall forest in Japan', but we decided to shorten it and call this embroidery 'JAPANESE FOREST'.

When I look at it I feel joy and calmness, this bright, colorful embroidered painting looks almost three dimentional, and it makes me want to go for a nice, relaxed walk (if only in my dreams, we live in a big, busy and noisy city, so this embroidery hoop art is more like a window into another reality for me).
I think many of you can relate to my words above. We live in a hectic world, and we all need beauty in our life, the more the better.
​Click on the link above or on the picture to see more images of this hoop art and to buy it.

Don't forget to tell you what do you think of Yanka's new products in the comments!

I said in my previous post that I shouldn't show you the picture of unfinished Japanese Cat, the latest and cutest Yanka's project. Now it doesn't matter. This is Japanese Cat, a little embroidery that I was so fond of and run to check on the progress every day after coming home from work. This is the Japanese Cat​, bright, cheerful, full of character, so special.

I killed it.
I made a mistake. Again. I tried to avoid bigger trouble by cutting conversation in midair, and made it worse. Again. I tried to calm Yanka down and used wrong words. Again. I made Yanka furious and left her alone when she stormed out of the door to the bedroom. I hoped to give her time, and indeed there was silence for a few minutes.
Then Yanka came back, took sewing scissors and cut this little embroidery in front of my eyes.

It had to have yellow belly, pink ears and teeny-weeny green eyes, and roses all around it, but it is dead now. Yellow belly, pink ears and teeny-weeny green eyes.

I don't know if there would be any more news on our site. I don't know if there would be a site. There weren't any sales here anywas, but at least there was hope to start selling, and we both worked for it.
There ain't us anymore, and I don't know what to do in order to change it. Too many mistakes for too many years, over and over again.

Men, if you hear me, don't do it, by any means, don't make them suffer, don't make your gals angry. They create marvelous things, when you bring them pain, and sorrow, and when you disappoint them, and when you fail them, you destroy all these things, everything.

Don't forget the Japanese Cat. Yellow belly, pink ears abd teeny-weeny green eyes.

Yes, I know, I shouldn't show it to you, but I just fell in love with this project, and I'm sure that you will love it too.
Some time ago we bought two rice bowls online from a nice Japanese man, and when they arrived, we found several Japanese postcards inside, all featuring hand-drawn cats, one cuter than another. It was such a nice surprise!
(Wish we knew who was the artist that draw these cats. If you recognize it and know the artist, please, tell us, and we will gladly credit him or her here.) Ever since Yanka wanted to bring these images into her craft. We tried several things including papier-mache sculptures, but it wasn't very successful, so I almost forgot about the Japanese cats, and then... A few days ago Yanka told me that she started embroidering a cat, but she didn't tell which one, so I was almost unprepared when she let me see this:

He will have green eyes, you know? Teeny-veeny green eyes.

I have no illusions, I know that no one ever reads my blog, but if you see it, and if you like this awesome Japanese kitty and want to buy it, please, check if we already listed it for sale and use our contact form if we still did not.
Best regards, till the next time, my imaginary reader!

{Written by Yanka's husband}
February was a busy month, and there were news that I should share with you but didn't. Several finished products, new jewelry pictures, etc., but you already know it if you saw our home page, 'cause whatever happens but the Home Page always gets its updates. The other way to receive news about Yanka's plans and new products is to subscribe. If you scroll all the way down on our Home Page you'll se the subscription form. Don't worry, we ain't gonna spam you, we simply don't have time for it. There is a monthly newsletter with all the highlights, that's it!

Just for reference! There are many images of this bestiary folio page on the web, and I chose the most clear and bright one to show you.

Surely there are more pictures of Yanka's new keepsake box. Click the button below to see them all!

Have a nice day!

 Do you remember the 'work in progress' picture that I shared with you a few posts ago? If you don't, then you should scroll down and find it, so you could fully realize how from almost nothing, from a white canvas with a few thin lines emerged this gorgeous piece! Here? I proudly present to you the Celtic Wolf, the latest mixed media artwork created by my wife Yanka

Click the picture to see more of it and don't forget to leave the comments! Just kidding, I know that no one reads this blog.

{Written by Yanka's husband}
How do you take your product photos?
Everybody says that my pictures... are a failure and the main reason why Yanka's arts and crafts don't sell as they should, and you know what? I tend to agree. I can't take pictures indoors, it's always too dark, so I have to wait, and wait, and try to catch the perfect weather - not too sunny, not too overcast, and the perfect light - not too blue, not too yellow, etc. Naturally, it doesn't come everyday, but...

But when it comes, when it actually happens like a few days ago, I can take great pictures, so this time I took three Yanka's new wood burned projects outside, and I made this:

Then, secondly, I took pictures of these two small round plaques. They are so cute (the plaques, I mean), they will look wonderful on the wall of some eco-friendly kid's room.

I will post them for sale very soon, and in meantime, you are welcome to tell me in the comments what do you think of my new photos and Yanka's craft!

 {Written by Yanka's husband}
First of all, I am sorry. I promised to write more often and to inform you of all Yanka's new projects and new skills learned, but instead, I went down with severe flu and out of our life for two weeks.
Anyway, I'm back, and Yanka is already learning another skill, and it's called decoupage.  So far she tries it on a small mason jar, and it turned out darn cute and beautiful (she used 'Hello Kitty' pictures for it).
​Yet she didn't stop creating new mixed media art, and I had posted two of her artworks (Persephone and The Green Man) here for sale:

while there's the 'Stars' diptych waiting to be photographed and posted, and Yanka is currently working on a Celtic Wolf mixed media artwork (she-wolf, yes) that yesterday looked like this:

So she was busy, and there are many new things coming! Stay tuned and leave some comments, your opinion is greatly appreciated.
​Personally, I love that she-wolf!