 I participated in an open studio tour a few weeks before we left Santa Fe. My work was completely unknown in this community, so my expectations were low. I was pleased to display new paintings and also dug out all my remaining doll inventory from past years. The dolls looked good, better than I had remembered, and attracted quite a bit of attention. It was so rewarding for me to share them with customers. Quite a few dolls sold on this weekend and I was excited to think maybe my doll making adventures were not over. Following the open studio experience I decided to make some new Hoop Skirt dolls. This was one of my early doll ideas and I have created quite a few, but not several years. I kind of gave up after I developed a 100-step process to make one. Both new ideas are a variation on the Hoop Skirt Doll with a different twist on the idea of a "Story Teller'.   One this piece I added a 3 children clinging to the skirt, climbing up to the main figure to hear the story. This doll features the collage quilted skirt as did the early version of this style.  The skirt on this doll is made with many layers of paper collage on canvas in place of the quilted skirt. She is telling her story in a different way. There are bits of maps and music and lots of text. These clues suggest that she is a traveler and a musician, with so many conversations and ideas that most are only vaguely remembered. Will I make another hoop skirt doll?
This is my current problem. Yes, I want to make beautifully designed dolls that I love. But, I want a quick, trouble-free process that comes together smoothly. I want no wasted materials and no wasted time or energy. I don't really want to buy more supplies. And no more sticky fingers! Once in awhile a doll happens this way, but not very often! I have worked steadily at doll making for about 12 years, usually with energy and enthusiasm. You'd think things would be getting easier by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It is still a struggle. There are a variety of excuses for this. I've made all the easy stuff I can think of. I thinned out my collection of found objects and supplies. My collection of fabric scraps is depleted. I am out of practice. It is cold in the workshop. And, so forth. I need to get over it, and get busy! So, these are my doll making strategies for the rest of the year.
Yes, I'll make more dolls!
1 Comment
 The idea of creating a painting using the "conceal and reveal" process was introduced in an on-line painting class I've been taking. I quickly became intrigued with the process. The idea is to build up multiple layers of collage - just recklessly gluing down interesting papers of any kind - photos, color, textures, and type. This mess gets a coat or two of white paint to conceal everything. Finally, when the paint is dry the fun begins. I used an electric sander to seriously distress the surface. It was surprisingly hard to sand off very much white paint. Then I sprayed a little water in select areas and began to rub off some papers with my finger tips, revealing collage papers in lower areas. Cuts made into the surface with a case knife made it possible to peel off other bits and create straight lines. Interesting patterns and colors began to reveal themselves in combinations that I would never have thought of or been able to create. Bits of type and pattern in different levels of the original collage combined to make unexpected designs. I like the tiny details the best. In the final stages I made marks with my handmade smudge brush on the surface and glazed and glazed.
The question for me is this: Is this project just a distant memory, or a glimpse of future work? It might not be the whole future, but I plan to try this process again - several times. "A Distant Memory" is part of the members' show at the Spanish Peaks Art Council (SPACe) Gallery in La Veta, Colorado. |
Archives
March 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed
