One of my good friends and I art "challenge" each other to track the year with a continuing art/craft project. Last year we marked the year with 11" X 14" boards that we paper crafted to express the particular time of the year, this year we are marking the year with art dolls. We have no particular "rules" since we are very relaxed about it, just follow the calendar and for 8 different time points create a doll representing your take on the time point. The doll can be completely hand made from the ground up, or a prefabricated doll can be used by either re-working the doll or by just focusing on the clothing. It looks like both of us are not going the pre-fabricated route, I didn't really think we would, but the option was put out there as an "out" in case either of us got really busy. We are also very flexible about the number of dolls, at the end of the year you are not required to have 8 dolls, and you do not have a deadline that dictates when each one is to be completed. When we started the yearly projects the "rules" sounded like it would be too flexible, and if you are a procrastinator- (like myself) you wouldn't get to the project, but for some reason we've both kept up with the process, and have actually produced multiple items. We each ended last cycle with 8 out of 8 boards, and so far I have 2 of the 4 dolls I was supposed to complete but I do plan on "going back" and creating dolls for the events I've missed.
Here is the information for the two I've completed- you've been introduced already but this gives you some details on their construction.
Marie Antoinette- Beltaine/May Day
Her Poem:
When wee Marie was told, there is no bread.
She responded, you should have cake instead.
You've already seen Marie- but I thought I would go into her with more detail.
With her is her grand cake and she stands in a pose offering you some.
She is made mainly from some form of paper,(paper clay, sheets of paper) with the exception of her wig and accessories.
Her body is sculpted paper clay over Styrofoam and her legs are dowel rods with paper clay feet attached. Her eyes are painted antique pearl beads and her wig (the piece I love the most, and am most proud of) is made of wool roving and was hand needle felted together to form the curls and twists. It is highlighted with; strands of colored roving, iridescent roving and little bows that match her dress. After sculpting and sanding the pieces, I painted them with acryllics and then did a "deathly" palor wash over them. (It gives it a gothy feel IMO).
After putting the body pieces together, I began dressing her. The dress is made with pieces of distressed handmade paper that I hand sewed together. The paper in the dress is actually so soft, it feels like fabric, but still remains strong. She wears an underdress, overdress, and a laced corset all made out of paper. I did add lace to the paper for the underskirt trim and ribbon accents for a little "queen decadance" Her accessories consist of a vintage pearl neck wrap with charm elements, and a tiny pair of pearl earrings.
She carries in her arms a needle felted Napoleon doll, who wears a blue uniform with matching ribbon sash, and has a tiny spit curl under his hat. Here he is in progress, before his uniform-
I appologize for the terrible picture- it was taken with an old cell phone.
Her generous cake is multi-tiered with a Styrofoam and papermache box base that was covered in french paper "frosting" and decorated with other paper and ribbon elements. Including a pink ribbon banner that has her poem hand stamped on it and swirled around the cake.
Marie was the first doll I've made using paper clay and using the techniques I followed. I enjoyed putting her together.
Now for her "sister": Dorothy Gail - Summer Solstice - Incomplete.
Her Poem:
Little Dorothy Gale
Did experience heavy winds and hail
Spinning her on a journey to discover
That when up and over the cloud cover,
Like a unwanted gypsy set to roam,
There's really no place like home.
Dorothy is made in the same manner as Marie, with paper clay over a Styrofoam armature. The differences are that she has a more sculptured face, her hands are wire armatured (Marie's hands do not have an armature) and her legs and feet are paper clay over the dowel rods. As you can see I only have her mostly finished
Her dress is also hand sewn distressed paper, and her wig is wool roving needle felted and braided and sparkle purple strands. She holds a needle felted "Wicked Witch of the West" doll and eventually with her will stand a Tornado just about to take her house.
She's asking me to put her legs on- she's ready to go adventuring-
I plan on giving her some accessories as well like a mail bag satchel for traveling in Oz and some sort of necklace. I love the way she looks up with a yearning and a kind of grin that states she's ready for adventure.
I plan to begin the next doll project very soon- I may switch gears a little bit away from "historical storybook", but I've enjoyed the storybook dolls and think I will be doing more (I have a list of possibilities that are too good to pass up- including of course- Alice), but I'm inspired by skeins of overdyed sari silk strips I have that would make a wonderful woven/crocheted cloak/coat for a witch...
Enjoy your creative way-
*JB*
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