The Doll With Purple Hair

Another doll that I am making is on her way.  She is getting closer to the fun bits. To me, this means that I am getting to the point where I can work on fixing her hair in a fun style, working on her headpiece, jewelry and other little accessories and details.  The big "doll making" part is over and wow-that sure takes me a long time!  I guess I have been trying to figure out for many years how to make my process much faster, but that is just not the way my dolls work. 

It took me so long to develop my process that now I kind of guard it.  It was such a long and painful process(many dolls have had to be torn apart and started again and again and again-I had to keep asking myself what I was doing and was all this worth it?).  But, finally one day, I made a doll that made so much sense to me and that looked like "me".  It incorporated my style, my history, my travels, my favourites things, all my hard work with building my own style of mannequins for museums and all of my study of ancient Greek and Egyptian sculpture. 

Plus, they had my love of fairy tales and folklore as well as my love of the bold use of colour that I had loved when I studied art in a little old town way down south and right in the middle of Mexico.  

They also looked like my paintings and other art.  I like to draw a black line and "define" all of my art. Some artists are very good at making their art more "airy".  I need enclosed in this black line.  So, this is why my dolls look the way they do.  Finally they are the way "my" dolls are supposed to look.  I always loved the description of "Snow White" with her blood red lips and pale face so I often give my pale dolls this colouring.  I have made dolls of every colour though-Maasai Women, Asian Princesses, Greek Goddess and I also love mixing everyone and every race up-why can't we all just get along?

Do I wish my dolls looked different?  Honestly,  I wish I could make them very realist and very precious, but this is what they are so I will continue on this way until something in them starts to change on its own.  My art is always surprising me.  This can be frustrating, but it is only partly up to me.  I will let the art go where it wants.  Trying to control it too much will just drive me mad!

So, here is the doll in teal with the purple/black hair.  There is another waiting in the wings. "Wings" being the key word here!  

This doll in teal with the purple/black hair is taken, but I am always willing to do commissions so feel free to contact me if you are interested in a special doll of your own. I have made all kinds of dolls-Cats playing the violin, mermaids, many fairy tale characters, fantasy kind of self-portraits of folks, faeries,  mermaids with wings, busts, a horse with a lovely lady riding it, cake toppers and more.  My feeling is that if you can make one thing you can make another.  Also, this is art and I am sculpting and sewing these pieces so anything really is possible.    Hope all is well with all of you!