I love to create!
I had made dolls once in awhile over the years, often as gifts. And, yes, I played with dolls as a kid. I especially enjoyed making their clothes. I began making art dolls in 2008 and started a doll making enterprise named Open Range Art Dolls. At the time we were living on the high plains of southern Colorado were I began collecting sticks and bones to create my Range Walker dolls.
I had always done lots of sewing and I had tried some quilt making. But, following a pattern was just not for me! Then I tried my hand at fabric painting. I was delighted from the moment my loaded brush touched the fabric. I started to use this hand painted fabric in some small quilting projects and discovered the spontaneity of raw edge fabric collage and free motion machine quilting. This style of quilting found its way into my dolls, notably the Hoop Skirt Dolls. I also began to work with various types of clay and to incorporate found objects.
I have a BFA in Fine Arts and taught art in high school for a couple of years, in western Nebraska and later in Australia. My career path eventually took me into the unique world of museum retail at the Denver Art Museum. All those years I had a ring-side seat to watch what other people were creating. I experimented with ideas and learned new media during spare moments, until I finally knew it was time to jump into deep creative water myself.
In the past few years I have realized that I could add to my art making experience by exploring two dimensional work more thoroughly and I began painting. I had taken various painting classes as part of my art education degree. I worked at these, but it was hard and I didn't fully get it. For some reason no mention was ever made of abstract and process oriented painting. Now the time has come and acrylic painting is my new love!
The more I work at painting the more fun it is and the more I understand that all my art experiences come into play. It is completely different from doll making. But, there is some bounce back energy that gives the dolls renewed inspiration.
Mary Jane
I had made dolls once in awhile over the years, often as gifts. And, yes, I played with dolls as a kid. I especially enjoyed making their clothes. I began making art dolls in 2008 and started a doll making enterprise named Open Range Art Dolls. At the time we were living on the high plains of southern Colorado were I began collecting sticks and bones to create my Range Walker dolls.
I had always done lots of sewing and I had tried some quilt making. But, following a pattern was just not for me! Then I tried my hand at fabric painting. I was delighted from the moment my loaded brush touched the fabric. I started to use this hand painted fabric in some small quilting projects and discovered the spontaneity of raw edge fabric collage and free motion machine quilting. This style of quilting found its way into my dolls, notably the Hoop Skirt Dolls. I also began to work with various types of clay and to incorporate found objects.
I have a BFA in Fine Arts and taught art in high school for a couple of years, in western Nebraska and later in Australia. My career path eventually took me into the unique world of museum retail at the Denver Art Museum. All those years I had a ring-side seat to watch what other people were creating. I experimented with ideas and learned new media during spare moments, until I finally knew it was time to jump into deep creative water myself.
In the past few years I have realized that I could add to my art making experience by exploring two dimensional work more thoroughly and I began painting. I had taken various painting classes as part of my art education degree. I worked at these, but it was hard and I didn't fully get it. For some reason no mention was ever made of abstract and process oriented painting. Now the time has come and acrylic painting is my new love!
The more I work at painting the more fun it is and the more I understand that all my art experiences come into play. It is completely different from doll making. But, there is some bounce back energy that gives the dolls renewed inspiration.
Mary Jane
