Art Doll and Her Cello
“Cello” started out as a thought when listening to a gallery customer who was trying to find my piece “psyche-Delia”, and then lamenting when she found out the art doll figure had been sold. Psyche-Delia, a psychedelic rocker, and her earlier flower-child inspiration, “Janice”, both possessed diminutive guitars that I had fashioned for them. I really enjoyed creating both of those art doll figures, and each had graced the front of my gallery artist bio-cards for a time as a representation of my work. The time seemed right for a new musician to enter the fold.
Cello takes form.
Cello started in my metal studio with a hammered copper face, cut and brazed hands, and a pair of torch fired enamel glass eyes over brass brads. I chose to tweak the scale of all of these elements, as I’ve been thinking of changing the size of my art doll figures just a bit. I have had a few larger figures, and I like the extra presence they have as sculptural works.
I chose to keep the figure itself rather simple and draw attention instead to the instrument she is playing. Cello’s cello I constructed from cardboard and modeling paste. Some careful cuts with an x-acto and patients while glue was setting was required, along with constant glancing back and forth to some reference photos. Though the “strings” of the instrument are plain copper wire, I was able to infuse a bit of musicality into the instrument by using discarded guitar string on the bow.
The last element needed to bring life to Cello was her wigging. I used natural wool fibers from the sheep of HGA artist, Susan Hope, to provide Cello’s unique coiffure. Her long black dress and simple black “leather” shoes are hand constructed, and sewn in place.