Arts of Delight

I pushed myself to get the Santos angels ready for exhibition. Only managed two, one of which I submitted before I remembered to take a photo. I am showing you the one that didn't go in- I now have three dolls on exhibit at Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio, here in Peterborough Ontario; Jane Betrayed, my Jane Eyre doll; Angel Thoughts, the angel with wings hanging on the chair; and Santos Angel #2. As a break from the relentless creation of high art, I was looking at Ann Wood's blog and saw instructions for making a very appealing little boat with a mouse passenger, so I found the time to make one. So much fun! Next on the to-do list, a stocking and a unicorn for my granddaughter. 

I finished the Jane Eyre doll  and immediately got started on creating my version of a Santos cage doll, using cones I made out of papier mache moulded over a styrofoam cone. Papier mache is soooo slow! So I decided to make three cones while I was making the mess. Then I had to figure out how to  make a base for the body, then I had to figure out how I wanted the arms to look and fit and move. I now have three different arm configurations on three different torsos. I have spent an awful lot of time looking at Santos dolls lately! As always, mine are completely unlike anything I have seen. They are all mine. I used Premier stone clay because it is more easy to add, take away and build on when one is experimenting. Haven't used it before. Interesting texture. Hard to get it to blend the seams, though. Carves very well, doesn't chip or snap, which is good, because I had to re-carve the armhole arrangement for them all. Basically, I made BJD arms for two of them and a jo...

I have been pushing myself to create an angel doll for submission to publicity for the winter show at Kawartha Artists' Gallery here in Peterborough. After several tense days, I was able to photograph her and send off the image. It was fun to make the chair and wings, but it was a struggle to get the armature to sit right on the chair. If that isn't right, none of it goes properly. Even now, it isn't the way I want it, but that's as much as she is getting. The photos don't do her justice, as she is very pale. Her charm doesn't come through, although I may be looking at her with the fond eyes of a mother! At the same time, I have been working on a doll inspired by Jane Eyre. She is made of ProSculpt Baby that baked full of moonies, so she has been painted all over and flesh tones added on top in washes.  In order to get her dress to stand out in the bell shape that was desirable in the early Victorian period, I did a lot of research. First, I loo...

After a few setbacks, ahem, learning opportunities, my doll is now finished. The pose was a great challenge, but I learned a lot. I snapped the breastplate while trying to adjust the balance, so now I am even more experienced in how to do repairs!  The fabric was beautiful, and it inspired me to try making the most of the design possibilities of angling the stripes. I had made a circular skirt for another doll, so decided to make one for this one. There wasn't quite enough fabric to make the circle, so I pieced it at the back. Not too noticeable, I hope. The dramatic colour of the costume called for a dramatic hair colour, so I took out my stash of bamboo roving. Under a hat, it looks good. The hat was made for another project, but was too big. NEVER throw anything out, you don't know when it will come in handy!

The doll I am working on now has been inspired by a piece of red striped silk from a cool necktie. Its pattern called to mind my favourite doll created by Luella Mossom, a sad clown with dynamite jacket, vest and knickers, all in contrasting patterns. I also decided to take a leap into creating a challenging pose, one similar to The Little Dancer by Degas, where the weight rests on her back leg. There again, Luella was an inspiration. Several of her dolls are in that pose, and she has given me some good advice; to start with the feet to establish the balance and create the armature from there. I have decided to show as much of my process with this doll as I remembered to photograph, from the beginning. I have not been working as quickly as I would like, since I was also working on painting some small pictures of butter tarts for a Butter Tart Taste-Off to be held on September 23 at the market. I will be womanning a table of my still life pictures, which mostly fea...

I took a picture of my doll in the studio, but there wasn't enough light, so I decided to do an Etsy-ready photo shoot. Not my greatest work, but acceptable. I took a closeup of her sleeves, of which I am proud. I am delighted with the coif! On paper, the pattern for a coif looks like it will never work, but once you follow the instructions and prepare the hairstyle correctly, it really works! Many thanks to Extreme Costuming and Elizabethan Costume Page for all their explanations and images. I love those sites! I bought a beautiful silk necktie yesterday and it is inspiring me to get busy on a new doll. I can picture her  main points right now!

I knew I wanted this doll to be wearing an Elizabethan-type bodice, so back to The Tudor Tailor for a refresh on the pattern, then into my massive stash of fabric to settle on just the right one for the skirt and bodice. I had bought a linen-rayon blouse at a thrift store, and it looked the right weight and weave and colour to use for the skirt, so I cut into it and fiddled with the material for a long time, trying to arrange knife pleats, with little success. Decided to go back to cartridge pleating, since I have had good results with them and the look is in period.It made a skirt that looked the way I had envisioned, although it was a bit thick for the size of the doll. That is always a problem, getting the scale right. I have tried to make the waists of my dolls much smaller than I used to, because after all the layers the period costumes require, these little ladies have very thick waists. I guess I am still not thinking like a corset-wearing person. Making the bodice went well. C...