Finally some inspiration!

Two years ago I made a doll with Ankie Daanen.  I don't know what happened, but after that doll, I did not sculpt another since then.  I have been working on clay over cloth.............which is similar - but not...........  I just did not want to go near a full sculpt since that workshop!  Admittedly it was an intensive 2 days which are usually a 5 day workshop.  I was so excited to meet Ankie, and she was so supportive and encouraging, and yet for some reason I was totally put off this style of doll.   There is something about this doll which I am not happy with.  To be quite honest, I think it is because there is a lot of Ankie in the doll and not much of me.   That is all I can put it down to.

But this week I met a lady who is a textile artist, she was doing beautiful work with beads and embroidery and papers.  She showed me a small journal she had made and we talked about art and self expression.  I have been complaining for months about my lack of inspiration, my lack of time management and my inability to be creative...............well after our talk, I suddenly got excited about making a doll - my own way.  From what I have learned so far..........

So I rummaged through my cupboard and found these heads!The little one peeking around the bottle on the right is one I have started to work with.  She needed her eyes fixed, but other than that she was pretty good.  When I did the original sculpt,  I started with a styrofoam egg and applied Darwi air dry clay - it is a little heavier than paperclay, but she will do.  She is the right size.  My plan is to make a doll which is about 17".  However, I know that for some reason, I need to be working on more than one thing at a time, so I decided to start another head, this time with paperclay.  I am amazed that I am so focused at the moment.  I actually can't wait to finish the dolls to see what I make!  What a surprise!

I did finish the doll..........

Yes, I have finally finished the Ankie Daanen doll. It was not that there was so much to do to finish her, just the excitement had worn off a bit. She is really a "Dutch Touch" style doll.
The only difference is those ladies in Spain have 2 weeks to make their dolls! Ankie provided a kit with the body pattern and costuming ideas. Most of us purchased an outfit that Ankie had pre-made so we could finish our dolls. I think most of the ladies would have finished theirs - but all of them were from interstate or New Zealand, so I have not had any contact with them to see the finished dolls.
I have decided to call her Niva - I am not sure why, but that is who she is.I do like her - but I don't love her...... As a doll maker/artist you do develop the techniques you like to use. So - I would change a few things - the body would be different and I am going to experiment more with clothing - I also prefer to fully paint the dolls features, this doll is varnished straight onto the natural colour of the clay.


Now just a bit of back tracking..........




In the last post I had a picture of my interpretation of Miss Mint.
She is a storybook charecter illustrated by Wayne Anderson and you can see more pictures here...







Miss Mint won a First Place in the Adelaide Doll and Bear Convention. I have one picture of her in progress here.














I am so excited about the bee. I made a bee!
After looking at pictures on the net of bees
I discovered they are hairy all over!
Of course it is not hairs as such
- but all the same I love my hairy bee...
what do you think?

Ankie Daanen came to Adelaide

What a week it was last week. I am exhausted. But very very happy. The wonderful Ankie Daanen actually came to Adelaide (who ever comes to Adelaide?) for our inaugural Doll Convention. I was so excited, I took these dolls in to show her what I managed to make just from her books ("Costuming the Doll" and "Make Dolls with Ankie Daanen")






She has such a sweet nature and is so modest. There were 10 of us in the class and we all worked very hard to finish our dolls in 2 days (it is usually a 4 day workshop) - so it was impossible! But what a wonderful experience and so much was achieved in such a small space of time. View my picturetrail site for the workshop pics. I will upload a photo of my finished doll and if the other ladies post them I will show those. The Doll Convention itself was 5 days of workshops, lectures, there was an antique doll auction and dinner with a fun auction. Lunch, breakfast, trading stalls on the Saturday and Sunday and a doll competition for porcelain, cloth, other media dolls and teddy bears as well. I won a First Place ribbon for my Miss mint!
There were so many other entries and I really didn't take many good pics
but when I have more time I will upload them. I must go and finish my doll now.....