My Fantasy Handsculpted Jewelry Has Stepped Straight Out Of Fairytales And Enchanted Forests

My name is Dolores and I am a fantasy artist from Croatia. As many such tales begin, I too was drawn to fantasy and folklore from a very young age but being from a low middle-class family such activities and interests were actively pushed into a 'hobby' and 'daydreaming' section, tucked away safely somewhere in the drawers of my heart so that my mind could focus on doing 'real' things, whatever the definition of real was to the ones in my surroundings.

However, none of my professional and academic journies could come close to the burning passion I felt when sculpting creatures, painting magical scenes or writing stories. It took a long time before I could give myself enough courage to start developing a sense of my personal creative freedom but once I took that leap I felt truly alive. Not like I was surviving or just living from day to day but 'truly' alive as an observant of the world through stories and a creator of many worlds of my own.

Being focused on fantasy wildlife gives me a great sense of joy because it's a realm with no rules. For a moment you have the power to combine any set of physical features or elements you want. You can make up your own. You can give them a special meaning, a background story or you can put them together because you simply feel like it. There is a sense of ultimate freedom to your imagination and it both comforts and entertains me deeply.

I find my inspiration is additionally fed with my fascination for all things natural: forests, oceans, mountains, skies... Things that are bigger and older than all of us. So many times I find myself using semi-precious stones, antlers, wood, seashells and other nature's goodies. It's a way for me to merge two worlds together: the 'real' one and my internal one.

Each of my sculpts takes many hours to make. They are shaped completely by hand, meticulously painted and glazed for lovely shine and protection. I take deep pride in the fact that everything is one of a kind and non-replicable.

My dream is to make a living off of my art. To spend my life at my working table, dwelving in the forests of my imagination and to keep creating enchanted sculpts seem to me like a fairytale in itself. To prove that 'real' world needs art too... I want to keep bringing beautiful creatures to life, unique art to your necks and a sense of wonder to your hearts.

More info: regnum-draconis.com