Tag Archives: copper

Dancer and a Fairytale Art Doll

It has been two weeks since I’ve shared a new art doll, so this post have two new sculptures for you.

Lacing II

The first is Lacing II. As her name implies, she is a revisit to an earlier art doll. I have done a number of dancer art doll sculptures. They seem a natural subject area for doll figures. Lacing II is a seated figure in the middle of lacing up one of her toe shoes. With her copper face and hair, aluminum conduit arms, and faux leather elements of her skirt and shoes she evokes a steampunk aesthetic. I made the choice to fashion her hands, head, and shoulders out of paperclay. This media allows for much finer details for hands gripping laces, delicate ears, and neck musculature. I costumed Lacing II simply to give the impression she is getting ready for practice rather than a performance.

Otohime

The art doll Otohime, is another sculpture in my series of Fairytale and folktale characters. She is a figure from Japanese stories. I first encountered Otohime in Yuri’s Brush With Magic, a book by my mother-in-law, Maureen Crane Wartski.

Otohime, is a water goddess, and daughter of the dragon Emperor of the Sea, Ryujin. In the tale of the fisherman Urashima Taro, Otohime appears a small turtle that the kind hearted fisherman saves from taunting children. Urashima is rewarded with a visit to the kingdom of the emperor, and the gift of a mysterious box that he must never open.

My Otohime art doll is a mixed media combination of paperclay and paper maché. Her “water” under skirt and tail are papermache over a chickenwire frame, with color and texture created by layer tissue paper. The figure’s head, upper body and hands are sculpted out of paperclay over a wire and foil armature. Otohime’s unique wigging is made of twisted and glued tissue paper. Elements from the metal studio serve only as embellishments as in the art doll’s torch enameled eyes, mesh collar, copper fan, and hair accessory. The kimono for Otohime is made from fabrics from the quilting collection that once belonged to Maureen as well.

Vasilisa the Frog Princess

Vasilisa the Frog Princess is my latest art doll sculpture. I wrote last time about doing some research into fairytales, and the Frog Princess was the first to catch my eye. I had heard the tale of the Frog Prince, but had not encountered his feminine variant before. This intrigued me. Her name is Tsarevna in some of the tales I read.

image of art doll "Vasilisa" standing figure sculpture in transformation.

Vasilisa the frog princess

The name Vasilisa actually appears in several different tales of primarily Russian origin. In many there is no mention of her having amphibious qualities. In one very Cinderella-ish version, complete with evil step mom and sisters, she is a girl with a magic talking doll that aids her. In others she is a true princess that has been bewitched. In another, she is actually a frog that is then transformed. Usually, some great skill at accomplishing tasks (with and without magical help) is what distinguishes her.

I captured my Vasilissa mid transformation from frog to princess. She appears just a bit surprised that her left leg hasn’t yet caught up to the rest of her yet. I enjoy the interplay between the fact that many characters in fairy tales, and frogs themselves go through major metamorphosis. I’m sure this symbolism was not lost on the original authors of the tales as well.

I hammered a copper face and copper hands, and torch flame enameled brass brads for her eyes. Her head, upper torso and left leg are sculpted out of paperclay over a wire armature. Vasilisa’s hair is copper rooted to a copper scull cap that was glued in place. Her costume I created from some wonderful velvet and lace scraps in my cloth bin.

This art doll figure is secured to her base. This choice was necessary for the Vasilisa sculpture so that she could stand and hold up her remaining frog leg to get a look at it.

The Key Art Doll

Off the Workbench

This week’s completed art doll is a mixed media sculpture titled, “Key”. With this piece, I continue to work to stretch my figures to possess a narrative of their own. Key is obviously a steampunk adventuress in the middle of some important and exciting task. No, I do not know what the key she is holding opens or secures, or why she looks so thoughtful as she holds it. Those questions are hopeful for you the viewer to answer for yourself.

steampunk art doll titled The Key with custom stand

Key

I chose to once again vary my construction techniques and media choices with this art doll. Many viewers see the hand hammered copper faces I create for many of my sculptures as them wearing masks. With this doll I chose to actually make the copper be a mask over a paperclay sculpted face. I also chose to extend the paperclay sculpted part of the figure to include her shoulders and top half of her torso providing her with a more defined shape. I sealed but did not paint most of the paperclay to leave it with the appearance of a porcelain bisque piece. I like how this augments her steampunk/neo-victorian styling.

Next Art Dolls

My pre-sculpting research this week has drawn me deeper into the world of fairytales. I find that I am not drawn to the well known princesses and characters that have been Disney-fied and rehashed into very specific images in our common imaginations. I have instead looked to some more far flung and bizarre tales for inspiration, as if talking animals, fairies, and magic spells weren’t strange enough to begin with. They are all in the very beginning and sketch stages, but I will hopefully have a few to share with you shortly. It is interesting that these sculptures start in an opposite position from the art doll Key above. She is a character that I have created and provided with gesture to imply that she is part of some tale. The new art dolls I am working on, start with a tale from which I will try to generate my vision of the character.

Commission of Commissions

A Couple of Commissions

This week is all about two art doll commissions. One I’ve just completed, and the other went to its new home. Last week I teased you with some images of parts and pieces of my completed motorcycle art doll sculpture. That piece is now titled “Steampunk Riders” by its owners, and it left the gallery yesterday, so I can share an image without ruining any surprises. I received a nice email of how wonderfully they were received.

completed commission sculpture of art dolls on motorcycle

Steampunk Riders

This was a challenging piece with lots of metal work detail and hand stitching on their clothes, and a complete blast to create. I like the movement and gesture in the final composition. It is such a good feeling to have a piece go where you know it is truly loved, and ties to something else that the owners enjoy and share.

Art Doll with a Book Leads to Another…

I first created a seated art doll writing in a journal that was inspired by a family member who was an accomplished author. That seated figure lead to a similar seated figure reading a book commissioned by a friend. The reader figure inspired me to create a doll lying on the floor reading as a child would. One of my artist friends spied that sculpture prior to its sale, and decided that she needed a similar piece of her very own. This now fourth in my series of literary art dolls is the second commission I completed this week.

Reader commission art doll

It is curious how one inspiration leads to another. In this case, I myself saw one person in a piece I created, and others saw a bit of themselves. In this case a love of books tied all these art dolls and their eventual owners to one another.

Summer Break Over, Back to Motorcycle

Ok, so summer is obviously not over, but it is time for me to get back to work creating new work, and getting some regular blog posts up here for you to see.

Since I’ve returned from a bit of travel, I have had the chance to finish up the motorcycle commission I had been working on. That piece happens to be a surprise from one person to another. On the very, very off chance that the recipient would be among the dozen or so individuals that actually read my postings here… I’m going to hold off posting any full photos of that completed piece and just tease with some detail shots of bits and pieces until the sculpture is delivered. However, if you happen to be a Facebook friend, Instagram follower, or are part of any of the art doll groups I’m a member of, then you may catch a glimpse of the fully completed sculpture.

Close up of front of art doll motorcycle

detail front

Here you can see two pairs of motorcycle boots, the glass gem headlamp, and other parts of the bike’s front.

Passenger’s messenger bag

Lots and lots of little stitches on on the motorcycle seat, messenger bag, and passenger’s jeans.

close up of boots, and “motor”

Now, it’s off to the studio to start a couple of new pieces. One of them is also a commission, but it is sort of a redo of an earlier piece, and definitely not as involved as this one. Not sure what I will share with you next week, I guess we’ll both have to wait and see.

It has been fun taking you “along for the ride” on a multiple piece commission. As I stated before, they can be tricky for us artists generally used to creating exactly what we want when the inspiration strikes us. It is gratifying to know that some patrons enjoy the work so much they want it used to capture something special to them personally.

Art Doll Motorcycle III

More Parts and Pieces

The little motorcycle sculpture is now ready for its art doll riders. This past week I added all the remaining parts and pieces that a motorcycle enthusiast would expect to find. The art doll riders will sit on their padded “leather” seat and grip copper, hardware, and polymer clay handlebars. The addition of a button shaped brad gas cap, knee guards, tank rondel, a glass gem headlight, and brass brad gauges complete this miniature steampunk machine.

steampunk mixed media motorcycle sculpture ready for art doll riders

motorcycle is ready for art doll riders

Now the Riders

As with most of my art dolls, the riders will start in my metal studio where I will hammer out their faces from a circle of copper stock. They are on the bench awaiting some sanding and polishing. In the meantime, I got started on twisting together the dolls’ wire skeletons. Here you see the beginning of the driver sitting on the cycle.

wire frame of driver

Last Chance to See Art Dolls

Three of my art doll pieces in “Our Art Is…”

This is the last weekend for my featured artist show, “Our Art Is…“, with painters Eduardo Lapetina and Pat Merriman at the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts. The show runs through Sunday. It has been a fun show with lots of wonderful feedback. Several of the dolls will be making their way to their new homes when the next featured artist show installs on Monday.

Art Dolls Installed and Invitation

Our Art Is…

The new show at the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts including my newest art doll figures is now installed. This show that features my sculptures along with the paintings of Eduardo Lapetina and Pat Merriman will run through June 21st. The opening reception is this Friday, May 29th, from 6 to 9pm during Hillsborough’s monthly Last Friday celebration. If you are in the area I hope you can join us, and see our new work. Here is a peek into the feature gallery.

View through door of Featured Exhibit gallery at HGA

A Closer Look

If you regularly read my posts you have seen most of these new art dolls in their studio shots, but here is a bit more of a tease from the gallery installation.

Psyche-Delia

Psyche-Delia is a steampunk rocker.

The art doll Media holds a key to…?

Art dolls: Media, Getting Ready, and Psyche- Delia sit atop a trio of pedestals.

Joy

Joy dances in a dress that looks like it may have been pulled from Eduardo’s palette.

art dolls: Doll with Doll and Spring in Hillsborough Gallery of Arts

Doll with Doll (sold) looks up at viewer

Doll with doll, and figure titled, “Spring” in front of another Eduardo Lapetina piece in the background.

“Paper Alice” art doll with Alice in Wonderland paintings.

It was completely serendipitous that Pat Merman had produced two mixed media Alice in Wonderland themed paintings that flank my art doll Paper Alice. Paper Alice has paperclay sculpted head and hands, and parchment locks.

Current Drift floats on a pedestal

Hope that you can stop by and see these and my other new art dolls in the feature show, as well as, other examples of my sculptures throughout the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts.

Art Dolls and Photo Angles

Today I took some photographs of my newly completed art doll sculpture titled Current Drift.

Current Drift

This figure sculpture is another piece that will be at the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts starting May 25th.

Making This Art Doll

This piece did not begin as a preconceived sketch, but with a simple decision being made while in the metal studio creating hands and face. That choice was to leave her eyes closed. As I took the polishing buff to the blackened and hammered piece of copper a very peaceful visage emerged. The question then arose as what this figure was enjoying. Was she listening to beautiful music, basking in the warmth of the sun, or perhaps even a fairy tail princess awaiting an awakening kiss? In the end, I thought she’d enjoy a gentile ride.

Though not intentional, I feel that she fits in with my earlier pieces Driving in Reverse, and Future Thoughts. Like those two earlier figures, this doll seems to be communicating something to the viewer. Also, as with those earlier art dolls, her title conveys both her action, and her attitude.

Photographing and Finishing

Taking images of Current Drift was an interesting challenge. Unlike a figure seated or standing, getting all the elements of this art doll in a single shot requires shooting from above. I find that when you do that the piece tends to seem flattened. It took quite a bit of camera angle and art doll repositioning until I landed on one that I thought worked as well as possible. Even with all that movement I haven’t settled if this piece is completely complete. I have been toying with the idea of imbedding the whole piece, art doll and boat, in a puddle of clear or slightly blue tinted resin. I guess you might just have to show up to the show to find out.

Mixed Media Art Doll

An Art Doll That Plays With Materials

Anyone familiar with my work knows that I love to mix, match, and experiment with the media I use in my sculptures. My newest art doll, Media, takes that materials exploration to its highest power.

Media

She has a hammered copper face on a paperclay head with parchment hair and torch fired glass enamel eyes. Her shaped wooden torso connects to one paperclay arm, and one fabricated from copper and aluminum conduit. One jointed leg I fashioned from copper tubing and a shaped dowel shin, and the other has a dowel thigh joined with a copper and aluminum shin. Finally, she is clad in a copper hat, hand stitched faux-leather boots, a tulle skirt, fabric sleeve, and a bit of metallic paint tattooing on the side of her head.

It would be an understatement to say that I enjoyed creating this art doll. The final effect is both playful and somewhat edgy and mysterious. I’m not sure what story she has to tell, but I am guessing that it is one that must be unlocked from safe keeping first.

Media will join my other new art doll figure sculptures at the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts May 25th through June 21st.

Paper Art Doll

Art Doll in Progress

Last week I shared some Work-In-Progress images of the newest art doll I was working on. This figure was inspired by a combination of my very first art doll, a snow day, and our yearly literary themed show.

Rather than playing with the idea of a rag doll that wasn’t quite floppy, I instead twisted the idea of a paper doll into a three dimensional figure. This idea sprung from my picking up paperclay to incorporate into my pieces after having used polymer clay for a face on a snowy day. Thinking of this figure as a 3D paper doll turned my attention to book illustrations. The images in a classic version of Alice In Wonderland became the literary basis for “Paper Alice.”

Paper Alice

I purposely kept Alice’s color palette muted and almost monochromatic. I wanted the figure itself to feel as though she had been plucked off the pages of an aged volume. I used mages and quotes from the text to further this concept.

Metalwork takes a supporting role in this art doll. Her shoes, dress collar, and headband I fashioned from copper. The “drink me” tag on her bottle is tooled brass foil, and her eyes are torch fired glass enamel on a copper base.

detail of Paper Alice

I used an antique yellow parchment paper to create Paper Alice’s hair. I created this wig by hand cutting sets of strips that were then stitched on to a tiny stocking cap I created for her. A bit of curling on the edge of scissors set her coiffure in motion.

Paper Alice hands

I enjoyed experimenting with new materials and techniques with this art doll. I expect that I will incorporate them in other figure sculptures in the not too distant future.

Wartski Art Dolls and Sculpture

Art dolls and mixed media sculpture