Tag Archives: garden

Three Dolls Going to a Garden Party

If you been following along with my progress on some outdoor figure pieces, your patience can finally be rewarded.  I will be installing three “garden dolls” at the UNC Botanical gardens tomorrow in the annual Sculpture in the Garden invitational show.  But, before they take the trip to Chapel Hill, here’s a few shots of them in my own garden.

Garden art doll figure - Sow

Sow

garden art doll - Tend

Tend

garden doll - gather

Gather

The reception for the Sculpture in the Garden show is Saturday from 4:30 – 7pm. The show will be on display throughout the fall. There is always a wide variety of media, styles, and sizes of work represented.

More Work in Progress

The next steps in creating my art dolls depend on where and how the sculptures will ultimately be displayed. I have been working on both outdoor “garden dolls” and some new pedestal top pieces for gallery display.

A garden sculpture obviously needs to be constructed to withstand the elements, and live happily outdoors. The skeleton of the figure below titled “Tend” will be kneeling in a garden space tending to the plants around her. Her dress will consist of cast concrete that will fill up the chicken wire frame.

Skeleton form of garden doll "Tend"

Skeleton form of garden doll “Tend”

“Contemplate” is a gallery doll that is a reimagined version of an earlier piece titled “Driving in Reverse.” This steampunk styled doll has a padded wire skeleton and hand stitched clothing. A pair of boots and some additional mechanical elements will complete this piece.

Art doll "Contemplate" still under construction.

Art doll “Contemplate” thinking now about some shoes and accessories.

Next time… some finished pieces to look at.

 

 

 

 

Delight in the Details

As I was sewing a pair of lace up boots for a new art doll sculpture, I was thinking to myself that these little details are part of what makes these pieces so intriguing.  Since that doll isn’t quite finished, I figured that I’d share a few examples from some earlier dolls.

“Janice” sits and strums a guitar fashioned from copper, aluminum, a spoon handle, wire and beads.

spoon handled guitar and hands from Janice doll

spoon handled guitar and hands from Janice doll

“Janice” also sports a nifty pair of high top sneakers.

Janice's sneaker

Janice’s sneaker

For “Garden Girl #2” I created a small copper garden basket, and a teeny, tiny, trowel.

Garden Girl 2 holds basket and trowel in her leather garden gloves

Garden Girl 2 holds basket and trowel in her leather garden gloves

“Time Keeper” has boots made at my metal work table out of copper tubing.

Time Keeper's copper boots

Time Keeper’s copper boots

The front of “Snow Queen” shows her lace up bodice, leather mittens, and beaded ice scepter.

 

front of Snow Queen

front of Snow Queen

And just in case you need one more pair of tiny shoes… Here is a close up of “Lacing” tying up the ribbons on one of her toe shoes.

 

Lacing shoe detail

Lacing shoe detail