( Oprah.com ) -- Her technique . Yulia Brodskaya uses two simple materials -- paper and glue -- to make lush , vibrant , so-three-dimensional-they're-practically-hallucinogenic `` papergraphics . '' Once called quilling , this style of intricate paper filigree is believed to have been used by nuns and monks during the Renaissance to adorn religious objects . Brodskaya 's modern take on the practice has helped her build an impressive list of clients in just a few short years , from Target to HermÃ¨s to this magazine ( her work served as a motif for O 's tenth anniversary issue ) . Oprah.com : 3 questions that will help you find your true calling . Her start . After earning a master 's degree in graphic design in the UK , Brodskaya abandoned the computer programs she 'd been trained on in favor of a simpler artistic tool : her hands . Trying to drum up work as an illustrator , she created a brochure for prospective clients ; on the front , she used a technique she 'd seen in an old textbook in her native Russia . Oprah.com : What 's holding you back from making your dream come true ? Gluing the edges of thin strips of paper to a page , she wrote her name in big red block letters , filling each with lively strands of white that curled around each other like smoke , or tiny , tangled tree roots . The letters teemed with life , exploding from their borders . Soon Brodskaya had a commission from The Guardian , the British newspaper , to design the cover of its 2008 holiday supplement . `` I 've never been out of work since , '' she says . Oprah.com : 8 people who made their dreams a reality . Her passion . Brodskaya 's studio , in the home she shares outside London with her husband and their infant daughter , is stacked with `` piles of paper , '' she says , all arranged by color and cut into strips about one centimeter wide . `` I 'm passionate about what I do , '' she says . `` I can happily spend hours gluing and listening to audiobooks '' ( a recent favorite : The Time Traveler 's Wife ) . Oprah.com : How to discover your passion . Her international roster of clients keeps her busy , but she 'd eventually like to apply her signature technique to more personal work , not for an ad campaign or magazine but for `` live '' viewing in a gallery . `` People have only seen pictures of my illustrations , '' she says . `` It would be interesting to see how they react to the actual physical thing . '' Oprah.com : 10 more creative women who make beautiful things . Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2011 Harpo Productions , Inc. All Rights Reserved .
A Russian-born artist resurrects a centuries-old art form for her delightfully intricate paper illustrations . Brodskaya learned the technique from an old Russian textbook . Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos:Photos: