ArT FeST ClAsS/ DoLL tRaNsFoRmED

Wow! teaching my first class at ArtFest…It was super exciting and a bit nerve racking, but oh so satisfying.  I had the best students that did the most creative work. I was great to watch a room full of people work within a format I work in all the time and see the incredible diversity of approaches and styles. I can’t help but be influenced by the creativity of my students…   So here is a photo documentation of Doll Transformed Class Artfest 2011…

 

Great to see it in print….

 

This is what a lot of the dolls looked like before we got started

These pictures that follow are from Show and Tell night, after the students have got to do some final touches and refining.   I was blown away by the creativity and quality of everyone’s work.

SpRiNg ArTwOrK

It has been a productive and good Spring so far. Well using the word “spring” metaphorically since its just been the last couple of weeks that it has actually felt like spring outside.

Keeping up with all aspects of being an artist and still having a life continues to be challenging and in that process things like my blog get neglected. I do love being self employed though! It is hard and not for everyone, but I cherish the ability to have more time with my chosen family and more flexibility to enjoy what life brings my way. My mantra these days… MAKE ART… LOVE PEOPLE… THE REST WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.

But back to the artwork, I wanted to share with you some of the new work I have been doing this spring. Most of this work was made to go to Artfest and a fair amount of it has found new homes. Oh Artfest!!! was amazing and I have pictures and stories to come…

This piece was in the Gallery at Artfest and is still AVAILABLE.

I had these old hanging vegetable baskets in my studio forever and then suddenly brilliance struck and the smallest basket became the skirt on this girl with a bird on her head. AVAILABLE

Another smaller “snow queen” doll who started her life as a terribly tacky ballerina doll from the dollar store. SOLD

Ok a bit darker now… its hard to see from this view but there is a small baby with a skeleton face riding a cockroach on the stomach of this “clown” SOLD

Ok still having a strong fascination with Bunny people…

This falls into the sort of sweet with a heavy side of creepy or weird? How would you describe it?

This piece is using a new technique I am playing with that combines plaster on top of reclaimed porcelain dolls. AVAILABLE

Mermaid doll with apoxy sculpt octopus that I LOVE and lower body and fins made with gut over the top of a wire armature. One of my favorite pieces this spring. SOLD

A larger “snow princess” SOLD

This is probably my most favorite doll of this group of work. The face was inspired by a Picasso painting and is different than my normal style. It has a very circus feeling and I love the fact that the doll is of ambiguous gender. AVAILABLE

Bone Head doll with some darker energy and tons of fun texture! AVAILABLE

So this is another new technique I have been messing around with and I am considering submit a class proposal for next years Artfest. What do you think? The technique is basically Frankenstuffed animal. Take an ugly stuffed bunny cut its face off… replace with doll head.. cut bunny paw off replace with old doll arm… reshape and recreate with sewing and painting… SOLD

A sweet little tin with a hybrid swan woman. I do so enjoy working in a small format… AVAILABLE

So I have been recreating/ resurrecting used porcelain dolls for quite a few years now. I have also worked in ceramics for the last 12 years, and I HAD NEVER THOUGHT TO MAKE MY OWN CERAMIC DOLL HEADS! Laughing at myself! So these are some new one of a kind doll heads either for making your own doll or for just a small unique sculpture.

Bunny and Knob Head SOLD Angel AVAILABLE