I have been working hard on my craft since 2004, and I think I have a skill level that shows in my work. I am the do over queen and there are many heads without bodies to suggest that these mistakes drive me to the perfect end. The finished doll always seems to lead to the next doll, one is born out of another. This is why I love making dolls. It is the air I breathe and pretty much defines me. I am a doll maker.
This may sound strange but these bodiless heads and headless bodies speak to me. I have control over the parts and pieces individually, but the position involved in the connection is revealed at the moment the pieces touch one another for the first time. The head moves me to sew it in a certain pose, same with the hands and arms. The whole doll forms itself to be expressive according to its idea of itself.
Dressing the dolls is always such a turning point and usually where I make many wrong choices, and I only discover this after I make the mock up.
One doll was inspired by a picture a friend sent me of Morticia Adams. Remember her long black dress? The doll has to put forth a pulled together appearance and she still lives life and dresses up, but there is always a memory of some sort of love................With th
e long dress that falls to the floor I want to bring a feeling of being brought down by the emotion of the memory.
The other doll is a bit more angry in her torment so she gets to be dressed in mostly black. Must have some color, so blue is always good. The texture is both smooth and rough, dark and bright. This doll is figuring out that someone has played her for the fool............................but her love unfortunately rules.
Bald Armless Dolls need love...................
These are the finished dolls. My friend will get the red head. Her name is Georgia. The doll with the purple hair is Star.
I love the long legs and the curvy hips these guys have. I think I am going to continue with this style until another style develops. I really love the faces, they are very inquisitive. They make me laugh and smile. Hope my friend will love Georgia.
The dolls are about 22" tall
I couldn't help myself, I have to post something.................My friend never checks the blog out anyway.................I don't think..........................
I'm not really showing too much, but I thought they were so cute at this beginning stage, the point where they start telling me who they want to be. Can't wait to finish. Very close.
The heads I worked on have turned into actual dolls. I love them and they are still bald. I am taking photos, but because one is a Christmas present for an incredible friend I can not show them off yet.
I have posted photos along the side of some of the dolls I made from 2006 until recently. These dolls were well proportioned and I used some found birch tree limbs for the legs on most of these dolls. I did this as a solution to the fact that there was no way to make such dainty and fancy shoes and the legs presented a problem so my solution was organic and I think it works. Many of the elements in the skirts have an organic nature about them. I chose to keep the eyes closed because the dolls felt more inviting and serene. Click on the images to go to my etsy store.
These and all my dolls have taught me that successes come from one or more failures. The process has been very enlightening and I am living my dream.
I finished with Goldie and she is ready for someone out there to love............
I am very happy with how the dress looks with its crazy retro design. Not all girls can carry such a print off. Goldie's hair couldn't be better. (I got a tight spiral perm once. It was oh so painful. I think it might have been less painful to have it done like Goldie did.)
Making Goldie taught me that my necks need to be redesigned to make sewing them on the body a bit easier. Her head was a challenge to sew on.
I thank all who have followed her progress to the completion and appreciate your comments. I am doing some work now that just involves only heads. Just curious as to what I can come up with. I was inspired to make a Christmas gift for a friend so I might not put pictures up until she receives it.
Goldie is finished and on sale at artdollsbynat.etsy.com
e long dress that falls to the floor I want to bring a feeling of being brought down by the emotion of the memory.
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