Maria Asenova, known under the brand name Maria’s Nature Toys, is one of the world’s best-known Walldorf-style doll artists. All of her workshops are booked well before the deadline, or it speaks to the fact that many beginners, really want to learn the art of creating natural wool dolls, specifically from her. Maria was born in Lom, Bulgaria, a small town on the Danube river.
She is a psychologist by profession and has worked in this field for several years. But because art is part of her heart, she decided to follow her great passion by making unique and custom dolls.
Maria, has been creating dolls since she was a child. In fact, creating dolls is not just a craft for her, but rather a lifestyle. As a child, she spent a lot of time with her grandmother, who taught her how to sew on the old sewing machine. Maria’s first doll came to life when she was just 7 years old. Therefore, I invite you to read the interview with Maria to learn more about her extraordinary story.
Maria Asenova and her creation
1. Hello Maria, and thank you for accepting to answer these questions. How does your day start?
Because I like to read a lot, my day starts with reading my favorite books over a cup of coffee. That way, I recharge myself with energy and inspiration for the whole day. When the weather is nice, I love to walk along the river. This is the place, which gives me peace, quiet and inspiration.
2. What did you want to be when you were a child?
As a child and now, I loved to draw and imagined that when I grew up I would become a famous artist. In a way, my dream came true, because creating dolls requires knowledge in many areas including drawing.
3. At what point in your life did you first learn about your field of work? What called you to it?
Dolls have always excited me, but after I got pregnant with my daughter, the first thing I decided to give my baby was a doll that I made. That’s how the whole adventure began. I wanted to create a doll that I could see in my imagination and leave something for my child that she could pass on to her children. So I created the first doll which was in a rather simple but very cute version.
4. What is your favorite thing about your works? Do you have a favorite character?
My favorite part of making dolls is the face. The face is the detail that gets the most attention and creates the character of the doll. Even after so many years of making dolls, I am always amazed at the end result and how a small, real character is born out of cloth and wool. My favourite character that I have created is the dwarf Giesbert. He was created based on Daniela Drescher‘s story. And another favourite character of mine is Pippi Longstocking, who unfortunately I haven’t made as a doll yet and hope to do it soon.
5. Lately, the dolls you’ve created have revolutionised Internet. They are absolutely gorgeous and so real. How do you manage to achieve such successes and what does success mean to you?
For me, creating is part of my life and I have always wanted to improve with each new project I start. Success is part of the steps I take to move forward and the most important thing, is that I am happy with the end result. This is success for me. When we are on the right track there is no way to mess things up. When you find what you were born for, you can’t fail. Behind every success is a lot of hard work. There is failure and despair sometimes and then, again, the desire to move forward and improve.
6. What is your personal or professional motto?
The inscription above my workplace is „Work fears the master„. I personally like to say that the world is as we make it, so let’s dream and create art.
7. I know that you run workshops in different countries and I can’t wait to meet you at one of it in Germany. Would you like to run a workshop in Bucharest, Romania as well?
I give courses all over Europe and that gives me many pleasant emotions. I love meeting people with whom I can share the same interests and teaching them how to create their ideas into dolls . Romania is a wonderful country, full of many legends and beautiful nature. I hope there is interest in doll making because I would be happy to visit and teach there.
8. Please tell us how you managed to come up with such great techniques in doll making and how are your characters born?
I’m self-taught artist. I’ve always said I was born to be a doll master. My dolls are made entirely of wool and cotton fabric. They are needle felted and then covered with fabric. After so many years as a doll artist, it’s still magic for me. Sometimes it takes about two months to make a single doll. Creating a doll, is for me like creating a child into which I weave my dreams and my soul. I call them wool children.
9. What materials do you work with the most and why?
To create my wool children I only use natural materials such as pure wool, cotton, silk and linen. Wool is a very warm material. When you cuddle the doll, it is not hard and cold like porcelain or plastic dolls and the feeling it in your arms is really warm and comforting.
10. I know that you are also an illustrator . Haven’t you thought about combining your talents in order to make a book?
Oh yes, I love to draw, but lately I have less and less free time to get my hands on pencil and paper. If dolls are my job, then painting is my hobby that brings me peace of mind. When my daughter turned two I created a fairy tale for her and I hope that in the future, I will have time to do the illustrations for this fairy tale and publish it as a children’s book. I would be very happy to illustrate children’s books and I hope in the future to have time for this favourite activity.
11. Name an artist, past or present , whom you admire or look up to? What characteristics do you most admire in other creative people?
I have always been inspired by Käthe Kruse’s dolls and her story. Käthe Kruse, born Katharina Simon, was an outstanding pioneer of doll making in Germany and established principles of doll making that persist to this day. There is always something new we can learn and take from other artists. This is the only way everyone experiments and progresses in their art. I have a favorite book „Steal like an artist” by Austin Kleon, which says that „Every new idea is just a mashup or remix of one or more previous ideas„.
12. If you were magically given two more hours per day, what would you do with them?
Time is never enough and as an artist, I have so many ideas in my head and so little time to create them. So, if I have a few extra hours in the day, I will sit in my studio to work on my dreams.
13. Can you please, give a piece of advice to the people that want to start a creative career, but have some fears or doubts in themselves or in what they are
doing?
There is nothing easy in this world, but everything is possible if we want it badly enough. Be brave, follow your dreams and don’t be afraid of mistakes. Mistakes are not really mistakes, they are a way to grow and be better at what we create.
14. What does the world need more of?
The world needs peace and more reasonable people.
I agree with that, Maria. Thank you very much for your time. May all your wishes come true and can’t wait to see you sometime.
All the images are sent by Maria Asenova.
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