Mother Courage for the Sojourner Truth Gallery Exhibit

My latest project was to design two dolls for an exhibit for Black History Month for the Sojourner Truth Gallery in Sacramento. The concept was to choose two paintings from two African American Artists Charles White and Charles Alston and to recreate a work of art of our own inspired by their work. The exhibit will debut at the Sojourner Truth Gallery, 2251 Florin Rd., Sacramento CA, on February 1st and then reopen at the Brickhouse Art Gallery on February 17th and run until March 16th.

I am a doll artist so I thought it would be interesting to take the subject of a two dimensional painting and recreate it in a three dimensional soft sculpture. It was kind of like working in reverses since most painters paint three dimensional objects and turn them into two dimensional paintings.

I chose Charles White's "Mother Courage" because she makes me think of working women from the past. When I was a little girl I used to see these ladies all waiting at the bus stop ready to leave their own homes to go and take care of someone else's home. My mother got up five days a week and caught the bus rain or shine and went to work. She put in long and hard hours. I was inspired by my mother because she made the decision to change her life so that she didn't have to clean other people's houses and went back to school and got her degree and became a nutritionist.

This is my "three dimensional" interpretation of "Mother Courage".

 
 

Mermaids

I finally finished the two dolls for my entry into the "Mermaids and Merwomen in Black Folklore". The dolls were easy compared to writing an Artist's Bio and an Artist's Statement for each entry that was limited to 50 words each. As bloggers, we all know being "brief" is a major challenge in itself. At 50 words we're just getting started but I did it. I read lots of samples of 50 word bios and statements by other artists and realized that they must have felt the same way.

I attacked this task first by just writing everything down that I wanted to say and forgetting the 50 word limit. Then, I read it and decided what was most important that I wanted my readers to know about me and then about each of my entries and then I edited it again. My last edit, I was very grateful for the word counter at the bottom of my Microsoft Word screen. I started cutting out unnecessary words and phrases while still trying to maintain good grammar. I got it down to 50 words exactly for all three documents. The final bio and statements sounded very stilted but I can live with it. I sent bio, statements, application, two entry photos of each and my fee in by "snail mail" today and then again by email as per directions. Now, I wait. I have had so much fun working on this project, it really made my summer.
I will share photos of my two mermaids in a later post.

For mermaid #1 I chose a color palette that was coppers and golds, I was inspired by some of the colors of coy fish. For mermaid #2, I used metallic shades of silver, teal, blue and charcoal for her tail. I used textile paints and layered the colors over each other until I got the texture and the color I wanted, I used an animal print stencil to get a mottled effect.

 I left the "fishy" tail untextured but I layered the paint on black Kona cotton fabric in an ombre effect using metallic teal and metallic navy blue.

Because I used about five different colors and they
were all applied in layers, each color peeks through and looks like fish scales. I love using textile paints and this came out exactly how I envisioned it.

 I clustered clear glass beads on the "fishy tail" so that they would look like bubbles.

Mermaids

I am almost finished with mermaid #1 and am very pleased with the way she turned out. This has challenged me to "think out of the box" and leave my "comfort zone" to create something new and different from me. It has also made me read and consider the legends and folktales about mermaids from Greek mythology's water sprites to the stories about mermaid sitings in all of our oceans, seas, rivers and other bodies of water. I 've looked at dozens of paintings, drawings, animation, costumes, and photographs for inspiration and even considered the advice of a three-year-old 'consultant' who told me "she's 'upposed to have red hair and a fishy tail".


I am posting just a sneak peak at mermaid #1. I will do a full reveal and post the short story I wrote that inspired her after I submit my entry.

This is her "fishy tail" as my consultant called it. I'm still working on the beading and I want to give her real hands with 'fingers'. I have not yet mastered the art of hands with fingers. I have several failed attempts and my son looked at the last set of hands I did and said that my mermaid looked like she had arthritis. Oh well! Back to the drawing board.

Twelve Yards of Muslin: Projects: Projects 2, 3, 4, and 5

Here are the next finished projects out of my twelve yards of muslin. I was watching this wonderful program on TV, one of the stories they were featuring was about a doll artist. Of course, that caught my attention.

She had been laid off from here job for several months and started out making jewelry that her husband took to work to sell for a little extra income. I'm not sure how she made the transition from jewelry to doll making but she said that when she made her first two dolls they sold immediately.

I was so intrigued by her dolls' simplicity yet they were so detailed in portraying African cultural dress. She used small imported masks called African passport masks for the dolls faces. I wanted to make my own version of these dolls. I knew that I would have to be pretty resourceful in re-creating the dolls faces since I don't have access to the passport masks that she used.

I gathered the materials and the tools I needed. I had almost everything I needed already in my craft and art stash. I started out with a few rough sketches of what I wanted to create. My next step was to make an armature frame to build the doll on.

I always smile at myself when I pull out the power tools and hardware to make an art or soft art project. This project required my drill, wire cutters, 14 gage wire, pliers and wood glue.

I also got a chance to use up a lot of my leftover quilt batting scraps. I never throw anything away.

Here's where the muslin comes in. I used lots of 1" by 36" strips.

I wrapped the armature with the batting first and then the muslin strips. I got this little mummy like doll body ready to be costumed.

I love the way the wire frame makes the arms able to be posed in a variety of gestures.

My favorite part of any doll making project is the costuming. I guess it's because it takes me back to my theater roots. For this project I used burlap, (very itchy to work with) cowrie shells, African textiles, feathers, found objects and broken jewelry. I used enamel paint on fabric to paint the faces to substitute for the masks. This was a great project for my creative spirit because I could let my imagination run free. I came up with so many design ideas and these are the four I decided to make. They are the leaders of an African village.

"The Chief"

"The Elder"

"The Griot" (storyteller )

"The Merchant"

They are available for adoption at the Brickhouse Gallery in Sacramento. Can't wait to make more!

Meg, Mistress of Potions

Anyone who has been following this blog will remember a piece of fabric I dyed a couple of weeks ago with diluted fabric paint. The fabric became a deeper flesh tone color although it doesn't show as well in these photos.

I had no plan for what the final design for her would be because she started out as an experiment in dying fabric. Once the body was completely assembled I chose a photograph to use to design her face.

Once her face was painted her personality came out and she began to tell me who she was. I used a wild, fiery red-orange yarn with gold treads in it for her hair and earthy fabrics for her costume and shawl.


She suddenly became a Celtic mistress of potions. I think I was inspired by the show Merlin that aired on the 'Syfy' channel this past season.

I gave her a headband made out of stone beads and a bag of potions around her neck.

She is also wearing suede boots with corded ties.

Of course, she told me that her name is Meg and she is now the newest member of "Gloria's Girls".

I completed the second item that I committed to this week. Now, I'm ready to finish my male doll.

TGIT Thank God It's Tuesday!

It's the first day of my "weekend" again and I'm ready to tackle my creative projects for the week. I've made an observation about myself. In the last few weeks I haven't gotten as much done as I have in the past. I used to have a pretty good creative flow and I was able to complete a number of projects every week. But I think I've gotten caught up in the social networking thing. Between 'Tweeting', Facebooking, the website, meetups, Etsy and keeping up with reading some of the wonderful blogs I've been following I have become less productive.

This week I am going to work more and 'socialize' less. After this post my plan is to not even touch my computer until late evening just before bed. Hopefully, I'll get more done. These are four of the current projects I've been working on for a couple of weeks and I have no excuse but to 'focus' and get them finished this week.



This is the fabric painting I 'started' last week when I was experimenting with a project from the book Textile Art by Susan Stein. Last night I worked on it for a while and added some applique work of a woman seated in the foreground and gazing at the rising moon. This project will be stitched, bordered and machine quilted this week. I promise!

This is my first male doll, I'm still calling him 'Keannu' until he tells me what his name is going to be. I've added some shading to his face to give him a more masculine look. I think when I create the next male doll I will give him a squarer chin line.

He also had a little 'surgery' last week to shorten his torso and narrow his hips. His body was a little out of proportion and looked awkward. This week he will get a great 'hair cut' inspired by Keannu Reeves and an outfit.....hmmmm that's going to take some thought. I did theater costumes for many years and raised two sons, you'd think I'd be able to come up with an outfit for a guy.

My last unfinished project for the week is the doll that I dyed with fabric paint. The doll on the left is the result after she was stuffed. The color is darker and closer to a skin tone that isn't as pale as the doll on the right and yes Mary Ann, I agree the fabric did change to a firmer texture. I kind of like it though, with the fabric taking on a tougher feel it was less prone to fraying and my seams were more durable.

This week she will get a new face and I hope she will tell me who she is and what she would like to wear. I'm going to leave that decision to her.

O.K., I'm off and running, lunch first and projects next.

My First Male Doll

One of the greatest doll groups that I belong to is Cloth Doll Artistry. I have seen some of the most beautiful designs and work done by some of the most talented and gifted doll designers I've ever met. If you are a doll designer or creator or you are an appreciator of beautifully crafted

dolls and soft sculpture please visit this site.

Members of Cloth Doll Artistry are presented with challenges every quarter to design and create a specific concept of a doll. The challenges are designed to make doll designers stretch their imaginations and step out of their comfort zones by creating dolls that may not be part of their regular design styles or techniques. Like all designers in any field, doll designers can get into a rutt and experience creative blocks. The challenges make doll designers think about how to create something they have never created before.

For me, I approach the challenges as a list of "what if's"
when I begin the "brainstorming", design process. What do I want this doll to look like? The "brainstorming" stage is great because there are no boundries, barriers or limitations. After the design process I begin a construction process which I approach as a series of problem solving projects. This is where I discover what I can and can't do which is also great because it is a learning process.

I like to use photographs of real people when I design my dolls faces. As a result, all of my dolls have a unique look just like real people do. The photos can be of friends and family or just an interesting face I find on the Internet. It is not so much that I try to copy a face exactly, I'm not that good yet but I try to capture an expression or a feature that is unique to the face.

The challenge for me in making a male doll is designing a face that is decidely masculine with strong features. All of dolls my are very soft and feminine with lots of eye shadow and lipstick. They are all very "girly girls". For this doll I found a great picture of the actor Keannu Reeves. He has great eyebrows and clear, dark eyes and his mouth has a little 'smirk' when he smiles. Because my male doll will have shorter hair than my "girly girls", he will have to have 'ears' or his head will look like it's missing something. So these are my first doll ears too. He also has to have a broader chest and shoulders and narrower hips.

Problems solved so far: masculine face, ears, broader shoulders and narrower hips. Next, I will have to decide what his arms will look like and how to style a Keannu Reeves hair cut. In the photo his hair is a little longer and wilder than his "Matrix" character wore. Lastly, what will he wear???? I raised two sons so you'd think that wouldn't be a problem.

This is my male doll design so far. I will keep you posted as I progress further. Tomorrow is my TGIT!! Thank God It's Tuesday, my three days off from work, so it's my weekend. The weather is so nice now after such a rough winter here, it's hard to stay in. I won't complain about the weather here anymore after seeing what the tornados and storms have done to so many homes and cities in the South. My prayers for the families who are now homeless or who have lost someone because of this terrible disaster. This has definitely been a year when mother nature has shown us her strength and power.

I wonder what's going on between these two. Every time I look at them they're staring at each other. Hmmmmm...

My Ga Ga Doll

Since today is a free day for the A to Z Challenge, I'll use the time to post pictures of my latest doll. My intention is to create four "Rocker Girl Dolls" as part of an all girl rock band. My generation had Janis Joplin, Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship), Tina Turner and Cher and later, Stevie Nicks, Ann and Nancy Heart, Joan Jett and Pat Benetar.

Today, my two granddaughters, Maya and Reylena have Miley Cyrus,

Lady Ga Ga, Katy Perry and Rihanna to emulate. We do give guidance when these "teen idols" hit the tabloids though.

Maya is my 4-year-old granddaughter and is well versed in the fashions that these teen queens inspire. My son was sternly corrected when he called Miley Cyrus "Hanna Montana".

Anyway, this is Ga Ga, she is the second member of the group and like my Miley doll she was inspired by her namesake. It's so funny, as I create my dolls they take on personalities of their own. Miss Ga Ga here gave me so much trouble because we couldn't agree on her costume. We finally agreed on this pink patent leather ensemble with black leather boots. Rocker girl number 3 is in the works so stay tuned.

Maixiu, (beautiful, grace)

I am pleased to share Maixiu with you. She is number 18 of my "Gloria's Girls" family. She is my first doll in Asian costume and I absolutely love her. Two ladies visited my booth last month and commented that they never see Asian dolls when they attend craft shows and that was an opening for a challenge for me. I wanted the costume to be something special that reflected

ancient Chinese culture.

Last weekend I saw a movie called 'The Forbidden Kingdom' along with a little Internet research that inspired the idea for this costume. I found the photograph of a beautiful woman's face also on the Internet and used it as a model for Maixiu's face. I love that it is so peaceful yet so wise.

I also designed a doll who will be wearing a Japanese costume. I'm looking forward to begin working on her in a few weeks. I am very proud to be able to present a beautiful doll that represents Asian culture.

TGIT: Thank God It's Tuesday

It's Tuesday again which is my Saturday. I am so happy to be able to have the next few days to finish some of my dolls. I am so grateful to be working again although it's only part time. I was out of work for over two years. I used the down time to go back to school to learn some new skills but even with with new skills and training, jobs are still scarce in my part of the world. Sacramento, California has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. While I was out of work I also used the time to be more creative and really enjoyed the freedom to work on a variety of art projects. So now, my days off are like gold.

My goal is to finish four of my dolls that are almost done. Miley has hair, makeup and costume now and I'm down to the small stuff. She needs fingers and a few details on her thigh boots.

Maixiu is done and just needs shoes, jewelry and hands and a little tweaking for her hair. I really love how she has turned out. She is my first doll in Asian costume and I have plans for a second Asian doll.

Ga Ga is giving me some creative problems. Her face and hair are done but I want something special for her costume and can't decide how to put it together.

My fourth doll is a challenge doll from one of the doll groups I belong to, "Cloth Doll Artistry." We were challenged to create an alter ego doll. I had a hard time getting started because I thought it was supposed to be an art doll. An art doll to me is something abstract and unusual. I'm not very good with abstract art so I couldn't seem to get started. The doll is due on the 20th, so time has been getting away from me. I decided to just create a doll that is a tribute to an entertainer who has made me smile since I was a teenager over the past almost 50 years, (wow I'm getting old). I won't be able to reveal her here until after the reveal on the group website after the 20th. We also had an angel doll challenge. I finished that challenge so quickly I had time to make both of the designs I came up with. I will post those pictures after the 20th as well.

I work at a place called The Market Place in Ranch Cordova. I am around creative and artistic people all of the time. We have art and books by local artists and authors, antiques and collectibles, jewelry by gifted designers and crafts people and crafts by a variety of other designers. We had a book launch for new author Margie Yee Webb this past Saturday. She has written a book called Cat Mulan's Mindful Musings. Her adorable cat inspired her to take photographs and write inspirational words to go with them and it became this wonderful little book. She has a website called catmulan.com and will have a newsletter coming soon. If you are a cat lover and even if you are not Cat Mulan will make you smile. Margie's words are words to live by.

I'm signing off now. My next post will happily be pictures of my newest completed 'Girls'. I am so excited!!