Someone New!

We did some sight seeing in southern New Mexico last week and happened to walk into a history museum in Lincoln, NM. The Apache Medicine Bag, pictured above, caught my eye immediately from across the gallery because I thought it might be a doll. It wasn't, but it could have been... with the addition of a head and maybe some arms. We were in a small art gallery a few days later where I saw what I think was a figurative sculpture hanging on the wall. It interested me because a tube of clay had been used to represent the outstretched arms. This is not a new idea, but thinking back to the medicine bag something in my imagination clicked. I've been hoping to come up with a simple idea that would combine my interest in making a detailed head and a richly decorative garment. As soon as we got home I made the doll pictured below.

I made a polymer clay face and used a part of a fiber experiment I made some time ago to embellish the garment. She hangs on the wall. So simple! I could make lots of these. Right? I made a second 'bag' garment. I got so caught up in the quilting and bead work that I failed to notice that the whole thing was too wide and too short. This made the arms look too short and skinny. 

And guess what. The head was too small. It is never as easy as it ought to be! I have revised all my patterns, and have 2 more heads ready to go. And I will eventually make a larger figure to wear this cute dress. I am pleased with the potential of this idea and hope to have other results to share soon.