Sofia Ermilova is a Russian polymer clay artist who has been working with this medium for about 20 years now.
She has discovered air dry clay first however the work with it wasnt that satisfying so she started to search the market for something more interesting and easier to work with and found polymer clay. This was a great discovery as it has to be cured to preserve it, but before she has time to remodel and make corrections of anything she needs to.
Sofia has always been inspired by animals and nature that is why she chose to make toys that look like animals and fantasy creatures. And why toys? Because as per Sofia’s words there was nothing to like in the toy stores. She found the toys boring and not interesting to buy plus they didn't move, and did look alive. So she came up with her own toys with livelike eyes and moving bodies.
The structure of the toy itself is made of inner skeleton, then covered by polymer clay and then she adds artificial fur. It takes about 3 days to create one small animal. If the character is more challenging, it can take even a week or two.
At the beginning Sofia sculpted her toys just as a hobby and for her own pleasure but slowly she started to sell her creations on the Russian social networks. Three years later she reached the international market and now sells her toys all over the world.
Sofia does mostly commission work but sometimes implements her own ideas and plans. “There are a lot of them so I hope that one day I will be able to bring them all to life. I never think far ahead. My life is changing rapidly and unexpectedly,” says Sofia and we wish her that every unexpected turn of her life will be the lucky one bringing more inspiration and joy into her creation with polymer clay.
