Featured Artisan : Anna Belogurova of Art Koza

My own work is primarily created for collectors – mostly one-of-a-kind pieces and small limited editions, characterised by a high level of detail and realism, and by very fine, precise craftsmanship. I am fascinated by the challenge of making something at 1:12 scale that still has the complexity, refinement and presence of the full-size object. Although I use a wide range of materials and techniques, my main speciality, and the area in which I am an IGMA Artisan, is metalwork. I love taking inspiration from real antique objects and finding ways to recreate not only their appearance, but also their construction, materials, surfaces and character in miniature.

There is also a very special direction in my work that is really my heart and soul — my collaboration with artist Beth Freeman-Kane. Together we are developing a series of pieces built around metaphor, where miniature objects become part of a larger idea and tell a story beyond their physical form. These are unique, non-repeatable art objects intended to speak to the viewer in their own visual language.

This is something I feel very strongly about. I see a great future for miniature as a self-sufficient art form — not simply a small-scale reproduction of the full-size world, but a medium capable of carrying its own ideas, emotions and meaning. The first works from our collaborative series have already found homes in one of the leading miniature museums in the United States and in a private collection, which has been incredibly encouraging for us.

Over the years, my constant experimenting has also given me quite a large “toolbox” of techniques, and this has naturally found its way into my teaching.

My classes can range from metal construction and different soldering techniques to decorative and sculptural metalwork, polishing, finishing and patination. I also teach cold enamel as a miniature medium, basket weaving, miniature floristry and sculpting with air-dry clay, mixed-media projects using UV resin and glass-imitation techniques, as well as painting, ageing and material-imitation methods.

Teaching online classes has become particularly important to me because it allows me to go much further than simply demonstrating how to make one particular object. Students can watch a process closely, pause, repeat a difficult movement as many times as necessary, and return to the material months later when they want to use the technique in a completely different project.

That is really what I want my classes to give people. The finished miniature is important, of course, but I am much more interested in teaching transferable skills. I want someone to finish a class understanding not only what I did, but why – and feeling confident enough to take that technique and make something of their own.

I also love that online classes make these techniques accessible to people who may never be able to travel to an in-person workshop. And for many detailed processes, learning at your own pace, with the ability to revisit every step, can actually be a wonderful way to learn. For me, making and teaching have become closely connected. My collector pieces give me a reason to keep researching, experimenting and developing new techniques but teaching gives me the opportunity to share what I discover.

There is always another material to explore, another antique object to understand, and another technique to learn. I think that sense of curiosity is still the most important part of both my work and my classes.

See more of Anna work HERE