Sugar Donkey Doll Designs

A few completed pieces...

2010-11-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've been flailing about looking for ideas lately. After a number of uninspired projects that went nowhere I decided to dig in my heels and finish something, anything. The first project I completed was a digital panting of Judith and Holofernes based on the biblical story but more especially based on my favorite Caravaggio painting.

Once I had finished that digital painting I was going to finish something in a traditional medium. Here's Leonore, my second accomplishment during this (probably brief) fertile period. She's oil and acrylic on a 12" x 6" wood panel.

Now it's back to work.

Eve: My first watercolor

2010-10-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

With my Crayola watercolor set from when I was subbing in a local school. Oh well, even with kiddy craft stuff I'm happy with how it turned out.

Romance?

2010-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Frog Kiss now available on my etsy

The Teacher's Pet

2010-10-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

For the smarty pants hiding in all of us.

Mary Quite Contrary

2010-10-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Mary, Mary quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
and pretty maids all in a row.

For a few fun, dark (but most likely inaccurate) interpretations of the old nursery rhyme check out these links.

Dryad

2010-10-01T11:55:00.001-07:00

Just a quick digital piece I spent yesterday working on. I'm pretty happy with how she turned out. Prints and ACEOs available on my etsy and artfire pages.

Watercolor Pencils and Ink

2010-09-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've been having a lot of fun recently playing with my watercolor pencils and ink. My scanner is a bit too sensitive for my taste (accentuates every pencil stroke) but a quick color touch-up in Photoshop seems to smooth everything out nicely.

I'm also trying to offer ACEOs for all of my drawings and paintings. I'm way behind the times but I think they're an adorable way to start collecting art affordably. I wish I had known about them when I was a teenager.

Twitter Hacked

2010-09-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up, I know a lot of us use twitter for our businesses. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20017075-36.html

Charleston!

2010-08-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

This summer has been fantastic so far, I got to spend almost two weeks in New Jersey with my parents and on our way up from South Florida we took a three day detour to see Charleston. Beautiful historic cities are my kryptonite and Charleston certainly fits the bill. I can't recommend a stop there enough for anyone who enjoys charming street scenes although early July was probably not the best time of year for it. I'm already looking forward to another stop there sometime in the spring when it will be a bit cooler and the azaleas will be in full bloom.

I haven't been terribly productive since my return but I did finish three paintings:
My American Gothic
Love
The Latest Style

And I've been trying to get some work done on two others:

Antlers

Snow White

Some new works in progress.

2010-05-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

The slow drying time on with oil paints has an unexpected boon. I've always had more ideas than time (and talent) to finish. With oil paints I often have to set a piece aside to let it dry for a day or two before adding the next layer- I have a ham handed approach to painting which would result in copious smears if I didn't let it set- and that gives me time to start working on my next piece. Then I can pick and choose whatever I'm motivated to work on at a particular time. I still have to buckle down and finish a project once started but it's a new way of doing time management which makes me very happy. And now on to my actual projects and shaky pictures:

This is a Victorian girl in a riding habit. Clothing is still difficult for me which is why I'm trying to take it slow adding various layers of shading to suggest cloth and fabric.

My attempt at a Jane Austen-esque miniature. With an octopus hat. Why? I think the question should be "why not an octopus hat?" Mostly rough coloring at this point, still have a lot of work to do with shading and highlighting.

The wasp woman. I'm happy with the face and skirt. Wasp, hair and hand are unfinished. Bodice needs a lot of tweaking.

I decided to list my Ingres-style painting from yesterday on Ebay. I've tried listing one thing there before without any luck but I figured I'd give it one more go before I wrote it off. Right now I feel like my listing is buried, not optimistic. Does anyone here use Ebay often? Any tips or tricks?

Oil Painting

2010-05-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I have not dropped off the face of the Earth. For the past month or 2 I have been trying to create a new doll, a ball jointed doll. Unfortunately casting and molding seems to be a weak point for me. After weeks pouring over plasters, silicone rubbers and resins I finally came up for air. I decided I had to create something that I could actually finish or I would go mad. Soothing oils seemed a natural transition from caustic chemicals so digging through my boxes I found a dusty, old set of oil paints I had never used. Being entirely unfamiliar with oil paints (my budget ran more towards acrylics) I started searching old paintings for proper skin tones and mixing. Using Ingres' smooth tones and shadings as my model I painted a small basswood plaque I had lying around and, to tell the truth, I love oils! Oh sure, some things about them are annoying. The drying time is an obvious hurdle for someone moving from acrylics and oil paints are not particularly inexpensive. But the (hmm searching for proper descriptors here) malleability of the medium is fantastic. Blending in blushes, highlights and shadows is heavenly. I'm still practicing the gorgeous, super-smooth skin found in some of my favorite pieces. See Ingres: Ingres #1 and Ingres #2

But I have to say that after months of disappointment, I have finished something I am happy with! And more than halfway done on my next!

Monkey Cake

2010-02-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

How cute is this monkey cake? I really want to make this, sadly my cake decorating skills are lacking, I wonder if I could pull it off... Check out the recipe http://www.bfeedme.com/dessert-of-the-day-martha-stewarts-monkey-cake-recipe/

Sneak Peek: New WIP Frida

2010-02-04T10:34:00.001-08:00

Antler Girl

2010-01-12T20:29:00.000-08:00

I had a book I loved as a child. I don't remember what it was titled anymore but it was the story of a young, wealthy girl who woke up one morning with antlers to the consternation of her family and servants. Using my vague recollections as inspirations I decided to paint my own version of a girl with antlers. Here is my original rough draft and the current work in progress. As everyone can see it's a long way from being done but we are progressing!

Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown

2010-01-11T16:41:00.000-08:00

Seeing the wonderful art galleries in New Orleans, particularly the ones featuring acrylic paintings, has really inspired me to explore this medium. I love the bright colors and texture you can achieve with acrylics, it's still something I'm working on mastering. This is my first attempt on a small canvas ( 11" x 14") having done a few smaller pieces on wood.

Nawlins

2010-01-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

The holiday season was exceptionally busy for my little family of two this year. We had my parents and sister down for a week for Xmas, on the 31st the Hubs and I set off for New Orleans for the new year and of course the Sugar Bowl. It was a fantastic long weekend but unfortunately fantastically cold as well. I don't have as many pictures as I had hoped because it was a force of will to even take my naked hands out of my coat pockets to take the photos. I know, I'm a spoiled South Floridian, but that's why I moved down here, so I didn't annoy the entire Mid-Atlantic with my constant kvetching about the cold. All in all New Orleans was a fantastic town and I'd love to visit again (just when it's slightly warmer please).

Some shots from the garden district where our hotel was:

The tomb of Marie Laveau and Plessy of Plessy vs. Ferguson

And some shots in the French Quarter and Jackson Square

Yay! Xmas gifts!

2009-12-28T06:08:00.001-08:00

Thanks to my incredible parents I have an excellent new digital camera for the holidays. I've blogged before about the problems with our last digital camera, after a jammed lens it was never able to take sharp closeup pictures again. Now I have a camera better than the old one ever was. And how do I celebrate my new acquisition? By taking artsy pictures of my iguana of course.

Tote Bag Pattern

2009-12-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

For anyone interested I've found an awesome free tote bag pattern. I've made one already for a holiday gift and am thrilled with how it came out!

Tonight I'm spending the evening finishing up my tree and listening to Christmas carols. Snacking on some delicious treats from my friend Kayla's Caribou Gift Company. An excellent way to spend the evening.

Angel progresses

2009-12-10T07:43:00.001-08:00

I'm loving my new gold paint. It's hard to see in the pictures but her hair is almost gilded. Love it!

Heres a little dolly I started on but am not not so fond of. Maybe she'll be finished. That's a ball of wool next to her to try out different hairstyles by the way. I promise I don't have giant hairballs just lying around my house.

And just for fun, this is my favorite Xmas decoration. My big, fat Santa. So jolly.

New Work in Progress

2009-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Still fairly early as you can see. Mostly blocking out the colors at this point although I do love painting faces so much I had to start detailing there for fun. Now work is on hold until I run out to the store and pick out some gold paint for her hair, halo, wing detailing, dress detailing. I love the gilded look of Gothic angels. I used to have an antique gold paint but it seems to have wandered off. All my other paints are present and accounted for. I guess it went to seek it's fortune in the wide world where it would be used more frequently.

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-26T10:46:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Wolf Strikes Progresses

2009-11-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

Almost done, still need to clean some stuff up around the feet and touch up the paint, add a sealant then phew! I had a lot of fun working with wood this time. I think once I move out of this apartment into a home I'll consider getting a scroll saw. Until then I'm looking at some dremel tools that are supposed to work like handheld scroll saws, I wonder how well it really works though.

Need help with wording

2009-11-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a new project, a wood cutout 3-D version of my piece "The Wolf Strikes." It's still a work in progress , the little wolf boy is currently drying and the base piece needs to be cut and stained but I think it's progressing nicely. My problem is I'm not really sure how to describe this piece in my listing. You could probably tell that already from myty awkward cutout 3-D thingy description. Any suggestions? What keywords would you look for when trying to find this piece? I know you ladies and gentlemen have a way with words.

Without further ado (haha typed it out ADO first, I've been stalking the Art Dolls Only blogs too much!) The original Wolf Strikes:

And blurry camera pics:

Busy few weeks

2009-11-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy few weeks here in South Florida. There are always things to do but it seems like every few weeks the hubs and I end up having jam packed schedules. Last weekend we had a fantastic time in Jacksonville for the Florida/Georgia game (Go Gators!). I have to say it's even more fun going to games as an alumnus than as a student. We've also had Heat games and evenings out with friends these past few weeks. Now I'm paying for my excesses with a nasty bug. Nothing as bad as swine flu thankfully but I think a few days curled up under my comforter is just what the doctor ordered. Since I've been a very bad blogger lately I have quite a bit to share

The Kite Flier

Taking to the High Seas

The Secret Life of Rabbits

And my first doll in awhile! The lovely Louise.

I have some fun ideas for some new dolls that I can't wait to get started on. It's just a balance between nursing myself and getting the work done. I love to get a jump on new ideas as soon as they're cooked when I'm still really excited about them, it seems to help propel me through the periods when my sewing machine is jamming constantly and I can't find the perfect ribbon for accents. Hopefully I'll be able to make some real strides tonight.

2009-10-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

I've always been a sucker for 1960's style: the dark eye makeup, the nude lips and most of all the updos. May have something to do with the fact that the most I can get my hair to do is lay there and play dead. New work in progress, a totally swinging 60's chick.

Blog mention!

2009-10-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

The lovely Paper Doll Vintage has added my Snail Rider to her lovely blog. Check it out! http://paperdollvintage.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-covet-thee.html

Some new art

2009-10-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Have a few new colored pencil pieces I completed Monday and Tuesday. The hubs has been out of town frequently for work and school so I've been watching season 1 and 2 of Psych while scribbling away like crazy. Now I'm going to work on conquering acrylic paints. We'll see how it goes.

This is Halloween

2009-10-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

Having fun playing around with some small pieces of wood I found laying around. Two witches. I wasn't happy with the first, the acrylics kind of globbed around her face, second version is much smoother.

Viola

2009-09-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

I love my colored pencil pieces but for some reason I can't get them to come out right with my scanner. Somehow it amplifies every pencil stroke and makes it look bizarrely unblended. I think Viola came out ok with some photoshop blending to help. She's a little French girl because...she's wearing a striped shirt and has a chic hairdo. Don't judge me, sometimes my imagination decides to take a vacation without me. Still waiting on my foot pedal for my sewing machine. Come on USPS!

Unproductive Weekend

2009-09-21T05:18:00.000-07:00

I thoroughly cast off work for the weekend and traveled to Gainesville for my Alma Mater's first big game of the season. Go Gators. I did get a bit of work done before I set off, two pieces:

I'm rather meh about them both. On my recent trip to NJ I brought back my old sewing machine only to find that the pedal is missing. I'm going off in search of a replacement pedal today. Had a quick mention in a blog called Twig and Thistle http://www.twigandthistle.com/blog/2009/09/graftgawker/#comments yay. And that's all that's new and exciting in my world. Now off to peruse some blogs to see what you all are working on.

We're the same, you and I

2009-09-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

I think this may be one of my favorite pieces I've done. Who doesn't like bears? Prints now available on my etsy.

One new piece

2009-09-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Sydney enjoy playing hide and seek but poor Sydney is at a disadvantage.

Back from NJ!

2009-09-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful visit with my parents and family up north but I do miss my sunshine when I'm gone. While recuperating from the 18 hour drive and lack of sleep I did manage to get two new pieces done on some wonderful paper my parents bought me at Paper Source in Princeton. I'm in love!

Ahhh!

2009-08-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

I just spent 20 hrs on the road driving from my home in Ft. Lauderdale to visit my parents in Atlantic City. I'm wiped! Needless to say with the family visit this week my posts are going to be even spottier than usual . I just wanted to do a little happy dance before I disappear into the ether because my print "The First Leaf" was featured on Fleur Avenue Blog! Check it out at http://www.fleuravenue.blogspot.com

More new art

2009-08-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

Trying out a simplistic style

Wendy the Witch

2009-08-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get the feeling that Halloween is coming up! My favorite holiday.

Mr. Dodo does not believe in stereotypes

2009-08-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief dodos had very studious natures, often reading for hours and constructing laboratories for scientific testing. It is now believed that they are not extinct but have merely "gone to ground" in a vast dodo social experiment.

Well, it's what I'd like to believe.

The Good Life

2009-08-19T11:08:00.001-07:00

2 new WIPs

2009-08-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

"Beach Warrior" and "Concerto in P" I'm thinking of leaving the last one black and white after I rescan it at a higher quality.

Quick Post!

2009-08-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Under Da Sea

2009-08-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

For the most part the things that inspire me don't occur in my everyday surroundings. I love a certain wintry mood, a little desolate. I love historic architecture and a certain gothic mood to cities, Savannah sends me into raptures. For every day living however I despise the cold and picture myself eternally circling the block in a city trying to work up the nerve to parallel park.

South Florida specializes in bright colors and a tropical feel. Not so much my artistic style. I would love to branch out but my brain has been so inundated by Jimmy Buffet themed rooms from northern transplants (I'm one myself) that I feel like I have a mental block. I want more of this:

And less of this!!

The one inspiration I currently have from my "real" life is the local marine life. When we got back from the keys we went snorkeling off of my local beach. There is a reef a few yards out from shore and we take more experienced snorkelers there when they come visit. With the ocean currents and depth (roughly 12-14 feet at low tide) fins are a must and it can be tricky for weaker or younger swimmers. But it is definitely worth it and my parents and sister loved it! We saw a wide variety of fish from parrot fish to puffers to cow fish and tarpon. At one point I had moved slightly away from the group and thought I had seen a trumpet fish in a cave of the reef. As I swam down for a closer look I noticed the shape kept going and going into the crevice and I realized I was not seeing a trumpet fish but part of a much larger animal. My goggles were getting fogged so as I surfaced to clear them I called everyone over and my father dove down to the rocks for a closer look. It was the tail of a small nurse shark who was hiding out in the reef. My first in water experience with a shark! Luckily he was a baby and seemed mostly interested in hiding in his little hole. Nurse sharks are fairly common here especially on the reef and are mostly non-aggressive. We have had some bites from them but we also have idiots who try to ride them because they are so known for their mild temperment. Aside from swimming with the sea turtles in Mexico it was my most exciting snorkel yet. If the youngster's mommy or daddy had shown up I'd probably feel differently. I once encountered a barracuda roughly my own size which resulted in some fast backpedaling on my part.

Here's my attempt to blend my love for the local marine life and a more sedate style. Prints are now available in my etsy shop.

Tanned and Relaxed

2009-08-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a relaxing week in the Florida Keys with my family. We stayed at Tranquility Bay in Marathon and enjoyed swimming, snorkeling, boating and fishing all week. The hubs even caught his first tuna. Now I'm back and ready to finish some dolls. I also found this cute pattern that I'd like to try out for some storage around the house. http://vlijtig.blogspot.com/2008/11/here-it-is.html

Some new art and scans

2009-07-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

I think animals with incongruous objects is my new theme for some reason. Finally got my new scanner! I'm so excited.

Porcupine and Badger go to market

2009-07-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

Just got home from a fun weekend in Gainesville. It was nice to spend some time with my sister and see all my long lost alligator friends. Is it strange I think gators are adorable? They're fat with short chubby legs and big cheeks for pinching, right up my alley. Now I'm back in South Florida with internet connection again. Hooray! I sketched this picture over my trip and am thinking about coloring it in photoshop. We'll see. Porcupine and Badger are off to the market, unfortunately Porcupine drew the short straw and has to pull.

Missing

2009-07-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just a one off photoshop today in the case of the missing bird Horatio and Edgar the cat who was the last to see him. Hoping to get back to work on some of my dolls this afternoon.

Sorry!

2009-07-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have been a very bad blogger. I recently had a commission to sculpt an Anne of Green Gables doll of polymer clay. The customer wanted Anne to be slightly older, more like the teen who went to the concerts with Diana to recite. I feel like I'm overly cautious with my commission pieces. They take me a ridiculously long time. With my own work if something ends up looking somewhat different from my original intentions I can work that into the theme. With commission pieces I feel like everything must be perfect and I obsess over the smallest detail. So for the past 3 weeks I've been agonizing over a shade of red hair or the perfect lace for an Edwardian tea dress.

During my time away I also completed Eliza who started out as the girl from the frog prince story. Unfortunately the frog was never to my satisfaction so now she has a more mysterious back story although I admit I named her while reading Pride and Prejudice for the umpteenth time. Sorry about the pics. My camera is as blurry as always (I'll blame the camera over my shaky hands).

After Eliza my dolls all seemed mad at me. Nothing I did was to their satisfaction so I've taken a two day break from them and decided to paint for a little relief. Unfortunately I don't have any canvases lying around so I had to make due with Adobe Photoshop on my computer. To add to the difficulty I don't have a proper mouse only the touchpad on my laptop so any intricate painting was out of the question but I'm happy with these two little girls who have come along. I think their simplicity is part of their charm.

Personally I've had and will continue to have a busy schedule all through August. All fun stuff though! The Hubs and I took a snorkeling trip up to Peanut Island, walked around South Beach and are going on vacation with my family for a week to Marathon in the Keys. There is nothing like summer in Florida. Yes, it's oppressively hot and muggy but I love snorkeling and the ocean temp is in the 80's. Also good for fishing and boating. Should be a fantastic summer!

Swan

2009-06-07T17:51:00.001-07:00

Well the swan is progressing better than I had expected. Her bodice is unfinished and her other wing needs to be attached. After that I'll trim the dress and the base and she'll be done!

Thank you so much to JoMo of PeaceofPi Studios for my first ever award!

Check out JoMo's wonderful jewelry and artwork at http://pistudio.blogspot.com/

This award gave me a great chance to explore new blogs.

This is how it works:
Rules of Blog Award Acceptance
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

An Angel at My Table

Danita Art

DellaRae DeZines

Ostrich Girl

Du Buh Du Designs

Horriblesweet

PrimDolly

Sleetwealth

Jake Waldron

Lisa Falzon

Tina von Wiesen

Yovanka Black

Essie's Dolls

Susie McMahon Dolls

Di Arnold Dolls

Check them out, they're all fantastic!

Some more WIPS

2009-06-04T08:17:00.001-07:00

Seems like all I have lately are works in progress.

The swan princess is progressing, I've been inspired again and started painting her. I'm thinking about giving her a beautiful toile gown with a white underskirt. It will probably be hard to work it out with her wings and I'll get frustrated and stuff her back on the shelf for months again. Sorry in advance Swanie.

Alice in Winter was inspired by Tom Waits' song "Alice." The whole album is aural inspiration, so many characters.

My own Alice is unfinished of course. Her hair needs clean up, more painting and her muffler hasn't been made yet! Her poor non-existent hands must be freezing.

Finally I'm working on a siren. This is based on a short story I read from the 100 Wild Little Weird Tales anthology. A young man sailing in the Mediterranean is shipwrecked on an island where he is tended to by a young woman. She cleans the salt water from him, feeds him and helps him regain his strength. I'd like to say they lived happily ever after on the beautiful island but alas she was a siren and only fattening him up to eat him. I suppose the cleaning has to do with the fact that she was watching her salt intake. In any case my siren like the siren in the story is not the traditional mermaid looking temptress, just a beautiful dark woman with exceptionally pointy teeth. I'm trying to get a somewhat hungry look in her eyes.

Apologies

2009-05-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been around for awhile. Barnabus, the baby bird I've been taking care of, developed some swelling around his eyes last week. I took him to the Wildlife Rehab Center in Fort Lauderdale since they have excellent wildlife vets. Unfortunately he has Avian Pox. It's untreatable in wild birds and usually fatal. They suspect his parents may have succumbed to the disease which is why he was orphaned. Poor Barny. I left him at the rehab center since they have the facilities to make him more comfortable than I could.

I did manage to complete a cloth doll for my Aunt this week. Amelia, is for a woman who is a certified pilot and enjoys Winnie the Pooh.

She needs a little bit of cleaning up and then she'll be off.

I've decided to make the little girl from my last post into a hulder. My grandfather grew up in Norway and when he would go back to visit his family he would bring my sister and I books on Trolls and the Huldra. Hulders are a mountain people, the women are very beautiful but depending on where you are they are rumored to have either cow's tails, fox tails or to be hollow from behind. When a hulder marries a farm boy in a Christian church her tail falls off and she becomes a normal wife although some say she will not age and when the husband dies she will return to the mountains. My little hulder will have a cow's tail peeking out from under her bunad (the traditional folk dress of Norway). Unfortunately her bunad will have to be very plain compared to the actual thing considering the years of intricate embroidery that can go into one. Maybe I'll liven it up with ribbon instead since I definitely lack embroidery skill.

The illustration of a hulder that was actually in my book as a little girl! Brings back memories, I remember how shocked my 6 year old self was with the nudity.

One type of local bunad. Like Scottish tartans they vary from region to region.

Works in Progress

2009-05-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the shoddy camera work. Just some quick pics of some on-going projects. Also excuse the disaster area that is my work space.

Little girl's head, still being sculpted.

Swan princess, sanding and painting phase.

Lucinda

2009-05-18T10:35:00.001-07:00

Ahh finally got something (almost!) done. This is Lucinda she is a naughty girl who does not play well with her toys including the unfortunate Wilbur. I need to take a little bit better photos to get her bloomers in the shot. I think they may be my favorite part. I think I might tweak her hair a it more, get rid of some of the strays but otherwise she is done phew. My super mother-in-law loaned me her camera so I'm not out of commission after all!

Short Update!

2009-05-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't been around much as a mentioned in my previous post because of Barnabus my little adoptee. Fredrica went to a new home this week so I'm down to only Martha in my shop and I need to up production, unfortunately its difficult with feedings more than every hour. On top of that my camera stopped working this afternoon for the second time since February. Sigh just one of those days.

This is my baby, Ms. A, resting her head on my arm. She is not fond of the bird.

Nature Red in Tooth and Claw

2009-05-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted...Sorry! I was driving home the other day ad I found a baby bird in the road being stalked by one of our local feral cats. I shoo'ed the cat away but of course he didn't go far and I moved the bird out of the road. I hunted high and low for the nest he had fallen out of but no luck. I could have left him there and let the cat have his meal but I'm a softy and I took poor Barnabus home. I wish I could have found the nest to pop him back in but most of the trees there are Royal Palms so if the nest were up there it would be about 15 feet out of my reach.

I'm not condoning taking fledglings and nestlings home, please don't get me wrong. Many times parent birds will tend to the young while they are on the ground. The idea that if you touch a baby bird the parents won't care for it anymore is not true. If the bird is in danger and you can place it back in it's nest do so! The parents have a poor sense of smell and are more than happy to continue caring for their young. Unfortunately in this case it was either leave him to die or take him home. So far Barny is doing well, he's eating hamburger meat and hopping around. He has feathers on his back but still has down on his head and breast. Because he has infant plummage I have no idea what species he is although probably blackbird or cowbird based on the most common types here.I'm doing my best not to stress him out by just letting him be when he isn't being fed. Hopefully he'll make it although I have read baby birds have a 90% fatality rate. Once he's able to fly a bit I'll release him back into the wild. Well back to my round the clock feedings!

Advice Please!

2009-05-06T06:23:00.001-07:00

I have a recent commission to create a doll for a woman who is a certified pilot and a Winnie the Pooh fan. I was thinking a cloth doll dressed as an aviatrix like Amelia Earhart and her companion Pooh with his own aviator goggles. I'm trying to figure out how to make the goggles, I have no experience with metal crafts so soldering together frames will be beyond my capabilities. Does anyone have any experience with constructing something like this?

Mittens

2009-05-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

Finally I pulled out an unfinished piece and have been working on it! Huzzah! Lucinda is something of a troublemaker but she has an oh-so-sweet expression down to an art form. She's been sitting around for a few weeks unpainted but she finally is getting a little color and believe it or not I'm happy with her thus far.

I also wanted a chance to showcase my favorite doll of all time Mittens the Thunderkitten. While dating my now husband we saw an episode of American Dad where the family moves to Iran and Stan takes on a second wife he introduces her to his American wife saying "This is my second wife. Her name is unpronounceable so I just call her Thundercat." J and I started calling each other Thundercat. Then on a trip to Mexico with my parents and sister I purchased Mittens from a man selling hand-carved pieces at Chichen Itza and Mittens the Thunderkitten was born. I can't think of anything I don't love about my Mittens.

Fredrica is finally done

2009-05-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the beautiful Fredrica finally finished. Hoping to get her up on my etsy shop by this afternoon.

Schizo

2009-05-01T10:14:00.001-07:00

Here's another WIP picture of Fredrica. As you can see her costuming is beginning to take shape. I wanted her to wear something soft and feminine. The material is actually from my husband's shirt which had an unfortunate accident regarding laundry and bleach. He likes to point out the irony of making a feminine dress for a bearded lady from a man's shirt. Let him scoff, I'm very happy with how it's turning out. To me the fabric is almost Renoir-ish, I imagine it would be the type of thing one of his ladies would wear to the river on a weekend away from Paris. I like the dichotomy of the true 19th century bearded ladies. By today's standards their behavior and sensibilities would be hyper-feminine. I read a story once about a real bearded lady who also had the most beautiful operatic voice, audiences were stunned. That's the kind of softness and power I want Fredrica to have. I like the idea that she may be an incorrigible flirt.

At the same time I'm being incredibly schizophrenic with my projects. I'm starting a large number of them and having trouble finishing some. Some are not my fault, my little snow girl with candle had a crack I didn't notice until after I started painting her. Now I can't repair her with Super Sculpey because the paint is not meant to be baked. I was hoping to keep her skin tone from the clay but it looks like now I'll have to repair her with a strong laquer and paint her whole body. Rawr. Snow White's unfinished condition is entirely my fault, I've lost confidence. I've started painting her and now I freeze, I'm certain one more brush stroke will ruin her. She'll have to wait until the muse strikes again. My muse is not the graceful bestower of gifts seen in traditional art. She is a vicious harpy who smacks me over the head with her lyre and then once the project is going she throws a tantrum. It's like living with a teenager.

Sneak Peek

2009-04-29T16:14:00.001-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at my new cloth doll. Ok, I went a bit crazy with the wool felting but may I present the beautiful and elegant Fredrica The Bearded Lady. When finished she will have a full gown and lady-like accessories (I'm thinking beard bows.)

To All the Dolls I've Loved Before:

2009-04-29T12:14:00.001-07:00

Farewell Red Riding Hood, Myrtle and Lydia. Three dolls make their way to new homes today. My shelves look so forlorn. New works are coming along, I'll try to get some pics up when I can. I had the sudden urge last night to start on a cloth doll as well. It's been a while since I've made one and they're my bread and butter. Hope everyone is having a productive day!

Goodbye Old Friend

2009-04-27T08:52:00.001-07:00

Martha is an old craft fair doll and a particular friend of mine. She and I go way back but I think its finally time to let her go to a new home. I'll be putting her up on etsy today.

I've been thinking I'd like to add some background music to my blog but I'm not sure how to do it. Does anyone have any experience with this?

WIPs for the weekend

2009-04-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some WIPs I've been working on over the weekend. Obviously I did not start them all this weekend. I'm way too slow for that. Sorry for the blurry pictures, they were just quick snaps.

First is a little girl trudging through snow. Super Sculpey and Sculpey on wood. She's still in the early painting phase. I like her because she's kind of a mystery to me. I usually have a reference(like Little Red Riding Hood) or some back story (like Delia) before I'm working on a piece but I don't know what she's doing out in the snow. Where are her shoes? Is she going somewhere? Looking for something? Running from something? I have no idea and she refuses to tell me.

Early sculpting phase of Snow White. Trying a more realistic look for her, we'll see how it turns out. She is Sculpey over a wire framework.

Ahh the Frog Princess, this project has turned into a long term relationship due to setbacks and major frustration but as I'm happy with how she's turning out. Her hair needs a lot more work I think and of course she is missing her Frog Prince. Sigh it will probably take me another few months to finish her at the rate I've been going.

I love drapery.

2009-04-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'm weird or if everyone has this, but there are a few things in art that really appeal to me. I'll never be an art critic, I can't distinguish "high art" from "low art" and I have very few artists where I am a fan of all their works. But there are some elements that just make a painting, sculpture, etc more enjoyable to me, more appealing. One of them is drapery. I am so jealous of anyone who can sculpt or paint cloth and I love anything featuring rich exaggerated swags of fabric.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Dittico_dei_simmachi_02_V&Am.jpg
http://www.victoriansociety.org/images/flaming%20june.bmp
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/philosophy/ancient/Burne_Jones_The_Wedding_of_Psyche_1895.jpg

Am I the only one with these strange quirks? Is there a particular texture, color, form or degree of intricacy that you find repeated in your favorite works of art? Maybe a mood?

I love knowing why a certain piece of art really resonates with a person. There are pieces I love for the story, history or symbolism of the piece but I'm talking about a more visceral reaction than that. The pictures that you find your eye drawn to for the simplest of reasons. Come on, tell me your quirks.

Revamped

2009-04-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

It is so good to move onto another project when one gets so frustrating you just want to rip its little dollie head off. I always knew I had to tweak Little Red's hood so last night I sat down and added a black lining. It was nice and relaxing and I am now content that she is finished. She can no longer glare at me from the shelf of unfinished dollies. Added her to my Etsy shop as well http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7050756. Now back to work!

Delia's Gone

2009-04-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

This is Delia the Housie, a small spirit bound to the place she loved in life. She carries no rattling chains, her glowing eyes do not peer at you from dark corners, you won't even hear the tread of her tiny feet in empty rooms. Instead she will creep to your bedside in the deepest watches of the night. You won't feel the chill caress of her lips as she presses them to your ear but her voice: soft as the rustle of fallen leaves and lonely as the whistle of the winter wind in the eaves will terrify you more deeply than all the grotesqueries and capers of her kind. She tells you your childhood fears are real, the monster in your closet has emerged and has one hooked talon poised over your defenseless throat. She tells you of your adult worries, that all your ambitions will fail and everything you feared would come to pass has already happened, that the life you have built (maybe not loved but labored for brick by brick) will fall and scatter like ashes in the wind. She will repeat for you every lie you told that day. You will relive every hurt you inflicted, small or large, intentional or unintentional. You will watch every time you turned from the truth because to face it was too hard, too frightening or too costly. As you sleep deeply, trembling over dreams of your cowardly misspent life, she will tell you the worst of all: There is No Hope.
After you have left.
After you have packed your boxes and bags grumbling about how your life here has soured and faded. Become hopeless.
After you have cheerily reassured your spouse and children that you will be happy in your new home (hoping they don't hear the false note you hear in your own quavering voice.)
After you have left,
Delia will walk the silent halls and stand alone in the rooms of ruin. She is not happy. Not happy but satisfied? Yes. She has returned to the only peace she knows. Perhaps others will come, perhaps not. If they do she will carry on. Until then, Delia walks.

Delia is my first full polymer doll. She was inspired by the piece I wrote after I woke up from a vivid dream. Thanks to the Dark Tower series for the term "housie" and "rooms of ruin" and Johnny Cash's cover of Delia's Gone for the name. I'm fairly satisfied with her. She needs a little more work and I have to find a stronger adherent to keep her on the wood base but she pretty much finished. *whew*

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

pics

2009-04-09T15:06:00.001-07:00

Turns out my phone has a camera, a crappy camera but a camera none-the-less. These are two of the creepy kids I was talking about in my previous post, old doll concepts that never came to fruition. The one on top is a scarecrow girl and below her is the innocent, young ax murderess. She's missing her ax in this version, or maybe she's just hiding it for later use. I have to make a trip to the crafts store and take a look at some hardware, I have a picture in my mind of how I'd like them to look finished but the terminology is giving me problems. Basically the arms and legs of each will dangle using metal links kind of like those used on pendants. Maybe real cloth accents as well: ribbons, lace or cloth skirts, maybe even yarn for the scarecrow. I had a great time pulling out and reworking old sketches today, now I don't feel so guilty about the millions of other unfinished dollies I've stashed.

Strange Dreams..

2009-04-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Things are progressing nicely with several projects. I'm a little bummed because the Hubs took the camera with him in his business trip so I can't update. I did get a new idea for a project from a dream last night. I was lying in my bed from when I was a child and there was a mobile with paper dolls from some of my scary kids that haven't been made yet. Little vampires, werewolves, banshees and voodoo dolls circling over my head. I'm wondering if I can recreate it myself, not just paper dolls but blocked on something stiffer, painted on both sides and hung from a wire framework.

Inspiration comes from the strangest places. I was a very imaginative child so that bed was the scene for many nightmares. One year I decided vampires were after me so I hung construction paper crosses from the bedpost after my mom caught me trying to smuggle garlic up to my room and confiscated it. It's good to turn the demons of the past into something fun and productive.

The Internet is not my friend

2009-04-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a long morning working out paypal issues and trying to get my etsy shop up and running. I think I've finally got it all under control. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7050756 I only have one listing right now, an old craft fair doll named Elaine. She's my guinea pig. I wish there was a way I could recenter Etsy's automatic cropping because in small pictures I now have a headless doll. So what does everyone think? How does the banner look?

Well, off to get some more sculpting done before I tackle fixing the vacuum cleaner. Dusty work ahead.

Update: Frog Princess

2009-04-01T09:52:00.001-07:00

Progress on the Frog Prince doll. Here is the Princess still arm less, hairless and Frog Princeless but she's coming along. I'm hoping to add puff sleeves to her outfit once her arms are ready. Head, lower legs and lower arms are paperclay, body is muslin. Since she is my first experiment in clay I made some tactical errors along the way. Not the least of which is underestimating the weight of her head on a cloth body. Normally for my freestanding dolls I add a little sand to the body to make them perfectly weighted even on uneven ground. Princess is different in that she had to have big, old river rocks sewn into her bottom. Thankfully big poufy skirts and lace lined petticoats hide all manners of sins and she sits wonderfully on her own. Lesson learned. Never underestimate the weight of a big head.

How do you work?

2009-03-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

Do you start one project and carry it through to the end before beginning your next or do you have several things on the burner at once? I feel like I'm all over the place at the moment with a ton of different projects going on. I think I'll have to cull them back by focusing on finishing the ones I've already started and just journal my new ideas instead of jumping into the next project with both feet. What works for you?

Frog Prince- work in progress

2009-03-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

My first attempt with clay is moving along. It will be the young girl holding the Frog Prince in her hands. As you can see I still have a long way to go. More paint for the girl's face especially around the eyelids. She has a fairly strong blush which isn't showing up in my crappy pictures. A few more touch ups for Mr. Frog as well before I start crafting the girl's dress. I think I'll call it Amphibian Smooches.

Elaine

2009-03-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

I pulled out Elaine today for the first time in a while. She is an older doll who never came out quite right. I'm thinking about reworking her. Maybe changing the bodice up a bit. Hmm I'll have to keep considering what about her doesn't seem right.

And on a more fun note, here is my tailless iguana, the adorable Ms. Andre, checking things out from the table where I take my photos.

Getting an online business up and running...

2009-03-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

is a lot of work! I'm glad I'm expanding beyond local stores and craft fairs but trying to master etsy, ebay and twitter all in one go is tough. I've been lucky enough to find that the online crafter and artisan community is incredibly helpful to all newcomers. I've also found an incredible amount of inspiration from their work. I've been playing around with clay lately (previously I worked only in cloth) after seeing some great work on blogs like BoneHead Studios. Unfortunately my results thus far would be described by Amy March as "mud pies." I'll have to keep trying. Its not a forgiving medium but some of the finished products I've seen have been breathtaking.

Huzzah! Little Red Riding Hood

2009-03-19T13:39:00.001-07:00

Finally, a new doll! My two previous entries were older dolls and didn't really reflect my more recent creations so I'm happy to present Little Red Riding Hood or Red for short. Red started out as Snow White but I felt the plaid of her dress and the painted boots were a little too rough and rugged for the pretty, pretty princess Snow White. Instead it seemed the perfect outfit for tramping through the woods to Grandma's house. For another take on classic fairytale characters including Red and Snow White visit The Cart Before the Horse blog. I am awed by their fantastic creations. Current work in progress: A lovely young school girl with a big secret she'd love to share with you.

Lydia

2009-03-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

I am trying to experiment with my camera at the moment. The Hubs broke the lens on a business trip and we've just had it repaired but I don't feel it's quite the same as it was. Colors are not quite accurate and its having a tough time with lighting. Natural light is working best ut I'm still losing some details. Lydia has little pink cheeks that are lost as well as her pink lips. Maybe on a cloudy day I'll be able to achieve the best pictures. The problem is Fort Lauderdale is not known for its cloudy days. I've been aching to try taking more pictures but its 83 degrees and intense sunshine for the past several days. Lydia is an older style, my more recent dolls have all had painted faces which is especially difficult to photograph in detail. Well, try and try again!

Myrtle and Chester

2009-03-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

Myrtle was the first doll I ever made and as such I think she is a good ambassador for my first foray into cyberspace. When I look at her I can see where I have made advances and I certainly don't stick exclusively to prims anymore but I think she and her favorite feline, Chester, will always have a place in my heart.

Myrtle's body is 100% cotton muslin. Her face is painted white with pink cheeks and lips, wood button eyes and a stitched mouth. Her arms are wired so they can be posed. Her dress is 100% cotton home spun plaid with a starched, unbleached muslin apron. Chester is 100% cotton polka dot material with an aged bell. Myrtle's hair is felted wool styled into pigtails.

Eventually I would like to see Myrtle and Chester in a happy home. I have never offered them for sale because I feel their sentimental appeal to me makes up for some imperfections in the stitching from my inexperience at the time. Perhaps once Sugar Donkey sets up an Etsy shop I will list her. I would hate to see her go on ebay.

Am I the only crazy one who gets attached to their creations? Even the older, less than perfect examples?