Julia Oleynik's ceramic floristry project Clay Flowers combines botanical sculpture and painting to create surprisingly realistic art. Using floral clay, the artist explores the medium's possibilities, capturing various flowering stages with real-life-looking petals, textures, and precise toning. Go ahead and take a glimpse of the future floral clay pieces you'll want to have decorating your spaces.
Julia Oleynik Sculpts Lifelike Floral Art
To give every floral piece that 'beyond realistic' look, Julia uses oil paints to achieve accurate color gradations that resemble real flowers, sculpting exceptionally real-looking peonies, daisies, lilacs, roses, and other flowers. She can precisely replicate each flower's different botanical features by thinly rolling out the clay. Oleynik has a strong passion for creating, which serves as both a form of meditation and an artistic outlet.
Julia Oleynik's work as a clay artist and teacher has brought her into contact with people all over the world, fostering a sense of community despite physical distance.
She shares:
"My passion for creating flowers is limitless. This is my meditation, my realization as an artist, my experience, and no matter what happens, my creativity is my support and strength.'
The Ukrainian artist views creating a floral clay piece as both an adventure and a personal challenge. The process, from shaping a tiny stamen to assembling a full bouquet, takes a significant amount of time, patience, and love. Each piece demonstrates her dedication and skill in apprehending the dainty beauty of a flower.
The Arduous Process of Creating Flowers With Clay
The creation of each flower is a laborious process, especially lilacs, Julia mentions. She makes each stamen from clay, painting it with yellow oil paint. The artist creates a flower completely by hand from a small drop of clay, cutting it into four parts with scissors. For her, the terry lilac has a trifoliate flower, which makes it special among other lilac varieties, adding volume to each flower using a tool with a ball.
In between her work, Julia conveys:
"Working with flowers has always inspired me. I continue to create flowers far from home, and it gives me mental strength. Sharing your work with the world and getting so much support is very valuable. Now I know for sure that you can’t wait for ideal conditions for your dreams; you need to act."
She continues sharing her process and expresses that after drying, she tints the flower she is working on and leaves it with oil paints. Consequently, she collects flowers and buds in inflorescences and proceeds to the next step where she combines inflorescences into a single branch. In this case, this is how a lilac is born in stages and does not fade. All stages of creation are shown in detail in her course, which you can learn more about on Julia Oleynik's Instagram account.
More About Julia Oleynik's Floral Art
Julia makes sure that every piece she creates has leaves that are carefully shaped and textured, with tiny veins and imperfections that mirror those found in nature. This holistic approach ensures that each arrangement is not just a collection of flowers but a complete botanical experience.
One of the key elements that sets her work apart is her use of color. She employs a technique that involves layering different shades of paint to achieve a depth and vibrancy that impersonates the natural variations found in flowers. This method allows her to create pieces that are not only visually splendid but also rich in detail.
Oleynik's clay flowers have received widespread praise, with collectors and art lovers drawn to their beauty and realism. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, where visitors are astounded by the lifelike quality of her creations. With her impressive skills, make sure to visit Julia's Instagram to see videos of the process of each piece as well as photos of her astonishing work.
Photos by @julia_ok8.
