For the Love of ‘Alice in Wonderland’
Some drive by Preston Hollow Park and see a place to play tennis, have a picnic, or hike trails.
Lesya Zedrick drove by the 7.2-acre Dallas park after a visit with her daughter’s former Hyer Elementary School teacher and saw Wonderland.
“We were just looking for great locations, something fairytale-ish,” she said. “All of sudden I saw this.”
“We” in this case is Zedrick and her colleague Inessa Lazenby. The two Ukrainian women have worked in North Texas for several years and share a love of Alice in Wonderland.
“We love it because it’s a perfect combination of magic, math, and creatures that make you wonder.” -Lesya Zedrick
“We love it because it’s a perfect combination of magic, math, and creatures that make you wonder,” Zedrick said.
Lazenby is a professional photographer with a website at inessaphoto.com.
Zedrick, who got her master’s degree in civil engineering in Ukraine, has become a costume designer and party planner. The website for her business, DreamC Production, remains under construction. Reach her at 972-456-9035.
She sees in Lewis Carroll’s mathematics-heavy story of Alice in Wonderland a connection with her engineering background. Blueprints, after all, aren’t so different from sewing patterns.
“Your creative side wants that happiness and party time,” Zedrick said.
In Preston Hollow Park, they recreated Alice’s tea party. With help from makeup artist Anatasia Borsak, Lazenby’s son, Roman Svidler, 14, played the Mad Hatter; Zedrick’s daughter, Stephania Bilder, 9, played Alice. Jayme Huffman and Randi Tucker provided the baked treats. Merlin’s Hope: Ragdoll Rescue in Ennis once housed the rabbit and cat used in some of the photos.
The participants hope the photoshoot will help show off their skills, Zedrick said.
Zedrick eventually wants to do a charitable exhibition of similar fairytale-themed scenes shot around her adopted North Texas.
“I love it,” she said. “There is no winter. In the Ukraine, it’s already rainy and almost snowing.”
But wouldn’t Ukraine offer more magical locales? Not necessarily, Zedrick said.
“I guess it’s different fairy tales for each location,” she said. “I do think Texas is much better for the parties and the photoshoots because the climate is much nicer and the people are sweeter.”
