First Half Doll Design For My Book

I've been working on my first dollmaking book and I just finished the first example of what you could do with a basic half doll design.

I like to use a half doll to make ghosts, fairies, angels, or demons. Actually, anything that floats, flies or is in the process of appearing or
disappearing.


This first piece is a poor unfortunate ghost who loved not too wisely, but too well. She's in her watery grave, but I'm going to write a dark amusing poem about her ruining "His" fishing trips every season. I've always been an Edward Gorey fan and I had a blast writing the last 2 story poems for Poor Sad Mary and Autumn Leaves.

I like the names Maud, Rachel or Edith for this figure. If you'd like to suggest a name feel free.

Little Poot

I love all my cats, but Sniffles holds a special place in my heart. She and her siblings were so sick when I rescued them I was scared they would die.

She was the one who got my attention that spring afternoon. Her eyes were still shut, but she was wandering about sounding like an ambulance siren.

After their respitory infections started clear up, the kittens eyes opened and Sniffles eyes were amazingly huge and lovely. She became this wild little streak playing so hard that she would just fall asleep in the middle of a run.

She was the first to learn to use the litter-box, but she plays so hard that she runs to the box and jumps in already in squat position. She's such a smart little thing she learned how to snap the oven light on and off yesterday. I thought a kitchen light was going because of the flickering light I saw from the living room. But no, there was the Wild One standing on the stove, popping the switch on and off.

Her only flaw are her killer farts. She gets all sweet...pet my head and you pick her up and WHAM! I swear her farts are worse than ... I don't know what!

Aw man!!! She just jumped in my lap and got me again.

Writing a How To Book

In my quest to expand my Chat Noir lines, I'm now venturing into writing. I was an Art Teacher for 5 yrs, so writing and planning lessons was second nature to me.

I'm working on directions for a half doll like "Autumn Leaves", but on a smaller scale. I'm also going to show 3 or 4 variations like sculpted, beaded, or embroidery floss hair or maybe even a headdress.

I hope to be sending out trial booklets to my testers soon.
I only have one problem though, every time I finish a section, I find I need to start a new section to expand on new ideas.

I'm worried I may overwhelm my intended students....that's why I asked for people to test the finished lessons. I'm looking forward to hearing their ideas.

Tiny Cat Faces

I've always loved making my sculpted HexCats, but this year I swore I'd also add some more affordable items to my etsy shop.

Since I've always loved beaded pendants, I thought I'd design a little hexcat that could be worn.

The pendants are relatively easy to make and fun to wear. I'm sure they'll seem a bit creepy, to some people, but they really do have goofy and sweet expressions.

We all need a bit of fun in our lives.

Depicting Suffering in Art

The Medieval, Rennaissance and Mannerist painters always fascinated me. Death, pain, and suffering was so much a part of their lives and art. Since most people would be lucky to live to be 30, death was probably very present in most people's minds.

Mantegna's painting of St. Sebastian has always stayed in my mind ever since art school. It's both beautiful and disturbing.

Hieronymus Bosch painted amazing and horrifically beautiful paintings depicting Heaven,Earth and Hell.

Parmigianino foreshadows Jesus' death while creating a painting of him in his Mother's arms.

It surprises me sometimes how people who say they like art that depicts reality are fearful of art that shows the darker side of being alive. I too wish life was all sunshine and roses, but unfortunately it's not.

I had such a negative response from other artists when I wanted to create dolls depicting things like physical disabilities. Even finding out that I was disabled didn't take the curse off of it for some people.

I've gotten around this phobia for the most part by creating mythological or magical creatures. Sometimes I feel like I sold out. But at the same time, many of my creatures and figures are now considered beautiful. So maybe I am making a tiny dent into the rigid ideas some people have about what is beautiful.

My most recent foray into pushing the beauty boundary came about when I read an article about a brave little Terrier named George.

The story reminded me of the art I mention above and I decided to portray George in his last moments. I feel such great bravery and love should be commemorated.

I've been pleased that most of the responses to George have been very positive. http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/05/feisty_jack_rus.html

I'm feeling much braver about creating darker sculptures. Portraying all aspects of being alive like death, fear and pain can be very liberating.