Going to The Land of Dolls...

For more than three years now I've been making art for a living. And by art, I mean acrylic paintings, mixed media collage, circus themed assemblage, boardwalk style knock-down dolls, modern vintage-looking rag dolls, paper clay dolls, upcycled jewelry from flea market finds, and a few other things I'm sure!

And while I love every single one of these creative endeavors... I felt I needed more focus. I wanted to fine tune my own personal style. I thought maybe I should concentrate on one type of art. But which one? I love them all! I wanted to showcase the multitude of ideas in my head... but at the same time I wanted to utilize all the skills I've acquired in all the disciplines I love.

I thought for a very, very, very, long time. I reached into my brain... and then into my soul. I weighed and measured each of the creative categories with my head... and with my heart (and maybe a little bit in my gut too)! And came up with... Art Dolls!

I've dabbled with paper clay figures in the past, but they took hours and hours to make. But... they were also some of my favorite creations to date! I do love to make art that expresses emotion... and what better way than something with a face!

I also love that my Art Dolls allow me to utilize all my favorite materials and skills... working with clay, paint, repurposed flea market finds, sewing and fabric creations, adding collage elements, assemblage... heck, even some of my jewelry skills come in handy! It's really a mixed media paradise when you think about it. Hooray!

And so I have made the decision to concentrate my efforts this year on making Art Dolls! I've already started a few and can't seem to keep my hands off of them! I have more ideas than time, but I put some things aside like laundry, cleaning, shopping, fixing the bathtub faucet and even getting a haircut... just to work on these fun creations!

As a creative person who loves several forms of art, I have to say that it was not an easy decision to make... focusing on one discipline. However, once I made the choice, sat down and started to make these little creatures come to life... well, there wasn't one ounce of regret in my own little body. Playing with dolls. Yeah... pretty much a dream come true for me.

So, off I go into the land of dolls. If you don't hear from me for awhile it's because I'm busy creating. But you can keep up with my adventures on my Facebook Page and Twitter. Or sign up for my newsletter and be the first to know about all the good stuff!

I'm looking forward to sharing this new journey with you! Thanks for tagging along with me. You're a real doll!

xoxox

Did. You. Ever.

Did you ever have an art piece you made that you ended up keeping? Well, my conjoined sideshow twins Willie and Tillie are now part of my very own personal collection. I had them for sale at $350, and while everyone enjoyed them and told me that was a great price... no one took them home.

I mean... come on! Look at their sweet little... ummm... freakishly scary faces... and crazy hair! They're simply adorable.

And all the tiny little details. This piece probably took over 20 hours to make. Getting the embellishments to look old was very zen-like for me. I love making new and vintage items look really aged, distressed and time-worn. In a perfectly imperfect kind of way! And people thought this was an antique piece! The highest of compliments.

I created this assemblage in my spare time over a span of several weeks. It was definitely a labor of Love. I found great joy in each step and even surprised myself along the way. It had been a while since I'd gotten to enjoy the actual journey a creative inspiration takes me on. And in the end, I decided that...

Not only did I love the journey, but I loved the finished piece as well. It was worth way more to my soul than my pocketbook and it's now hanging on my office wall. I get to look at the twins that I birthed every day. And they'll never grow old.

Taking A Chance...

Nothing like an upcoming juried show to get in gear and create something that's been floating around my brain for awhile! This time, I wanted to make an Asbury Park themed painting that looked like the board walk Chance card from the Monopoly game.

And, of course, since it's Asbury... I had to give my favorite guy Tillie his props! It took me like 11 different drawings, but I finally got him looking happily dapper!

After adding him to my existing drawing, it's time to make a transfer... the old fashioned way, with pencil. Hurry, the light is fading!!

Transfer is  in place and now it's time to trace really hard. I don't know if you mixed media artists out there have this same problem... but I find it difficult to work on a canvas.... well... because there's a hole in the back! So I put a stack of magazines underneath the area I'm working on and it makes things much easier!

Now the tricky part... to paint this entire 16" x 20" canvas without rubbing off any of the pencil lines!!

Whew! Four or five hours later (that precision work gives me a neck ache), and I am totally ecstatic with the outcome! Let's hope he gets in the show.

New In The Shop... Tillie Knock Down Dolls!

While it may seem like these vintage-looking, arcade-style dolls came from a carnival museum, they're actually straight from my imagination. Inspired by old-fashioned boardwalk games and a lifetime spent at the shore, I created these Knock-Down Dolls with the likeness of my favorite Asbury Park icon - Tillie.

Available in new, unused-looking styles as well as well-loved and time-worn versions, each Knock-Down Doll is hand made by me and features my own illustrations.

Showcased in a multitude of bright, circus-inspired colors... each doll is outfitted with wild and crazy faux fur.

They're decked out with individual, coordinating ribbon trim in all types of colors and styles.... and finished with vintage steel tacks.

Each one sits on a sturdy 1" thick wooden base that's been silksreened with the Knock-Down Doll logo... and they're numbered, dated, and signed by me!

These one-of-a-kind modern throwbacks are the perfect addition to your boardwalk, carnival or circus collection... and they make the perfect holiday gift for your amusement-loving friends! Available in the Carnival and Circus Fun section of my Etsy shop or pick one up in person at Flying Saucers in Asbury Park, NJ.

Thoughtful Thursdays: Big-Eyed Dolls!

So what's with my obsession over big-eyed dolls, cartoons, and other miscellaneous characters? I've always been drawn to them. Oh, and juxtapose a big giant head with big giant eyes on a tiny little body... well, then I'm in love!

Perhaps it's that eyes just draw you in (pun intended!). I mean... there's so much emotion that can be read from looking at the eyes, even if they are drawn in.

Maybe it's because in addition to being adorable, they just happen to be a little scary. Cute and creepy... that's definitely me!

Or maybe it's because they look so sad. You just want to scoop them up, tell them it's okay, and make them feel all better.

But whatever the reason... I am inspired and amused by these wide-eyed wonders every time I look at them. And what could be better than that?

Thoughtful Thursdays: Can't Complain!

Okay... well, let me set the record straight... I really can complain... 

...but I wont!

You see... it's been hot as heck this week here in New Jersey. And that's actually typical for this time of year. We get a few weeks every Summer where you kind of have to hide inside... in an air conditioned room... and not move around too much.

But after the 9 insane snowstorms, and otherwise chilly weather that we had this Winter... I promised myself I wouldn't complain when it got too hot!

And so... I'm going to take inspiration from my little Tillie snowman here... and I'm going to put on a big giant smile... and deal! Wait one moment, while I pretend I'm made of snow...

Brrrrr! Hey... it worked!

So, how's the weather in your area?

Snuggling Up With My Favorite Guy...

Lately I've been working on a knock-off of my Knock-Down Dolls... and making these fun little Tillie Pillows!

Thanks to Spoonflower.com I found an affordable way to print my designs on fabric... Woohoo! And because that makes life so simple... I even created a custom back, filled with tons of imagery (drawn by me) from Tillie's old house... The Palace in Asbury Park.

For some of the pillows I added arms made of ribbon.

On others, I added fluffy vintage trim.

And some of them I distressed to make look like old folk art dolls.

Having the fabric made things run so much more smoothly, that I had time to work on making more Knock Down Dolls! See how happy they are to be relaxing in the sun? Me too!

I was on such a roll I even thought of trying something new... using vintage tacks to secure the Knock Down doll to its base... just like the real old-timey ones!

All-in-all it's been a busy week, but tons of fun. So nice to get away from the computer and get my hands on my favorite guy!

Miles and Miles and Miles of Smiles...

Heyyyyy... what's going on in there? I wanna see! I wanna see! I wanna see! Well, my little Tillie Knock Down Doll friend... it's...

....time to make more Tillies! And Michelle has been hard at work, silk screening and hand painting each and every one of them. Then finding the perfect matching vintage textiles and old canvas bags to re-purpose for the backs of all these one-of-a-kind, arcade-style dolls.

Hand trimming lots and lots of faux fur pieces and pairing them up with each doll is a big part of the process too. Pinning and sewing come next and that's what's going on this week. Michelle said that's the hardest part and that mom is going to help with some of the pinning.... yay!

But I do know that Michelle loves every step of the process when it comes to making each Knock Down Doll as unique and authentic as possible. Just like the old boardwalk and carnival game versions. She gets lost in all the tiny little details. I can barely get her attention to stop for a moment and get a bite to eat sometimes! Can you imagine? Forgetting to eat because you're making art!

But something tells me she's been doing this for way too long. Not sure what it is. But something tells me...

Ta-Da! Presenting... Willie and Tillie...

Ahhhh... the illusion is complete. And so are my folk art style conjoined twins... Willie and Tillie. I really enjoyed working on this project. In fact... I think I could say this might be my favorite piece to date! What I loved most about the process was losing myself in the details....

Making sure the faces (and crazy hair) were just right. Especially since I was trying to match a one-dimensional "living" icon.

Getting the embellishments to look old was very zen-like for me. I love making new and vintage items look really aged, distressed and time-worn. In a perfectly imperfect kind of way!

Even choosing just the right book pages, decorating the balloons, and picking the perfect wire to use as the string became a thoughtfully pleasant step in the process.

I can't even tell you how long it took to make this assemblage, mostly because I did it in my spare time over a span of several weeks. But more so because it was a labor of Love. I found great joy in each step and even surprised myself along the way. It's been a while since I've gotten to enjoy the actual journey a creative inspiration takes me on. I certainly intend to do more pieces like this, as it was most soothing for the soul.

Thoughtful Thursdays: Emotions... The Good, The Bad & The Ugly!

It is no surprise that artists can be very emotional people. But, hey... don't we all have our good days, our bad days, and those kind of ugly days too? Nobody's happy all the time. And as an artist, I get to let those emotions spill out into my work... baring all for the world to see. But I don't mind, because I have nothing to hide. In fact, if my art can touch you in an emotional way... then we've made a connection. And I love making connections. So today's projects were inspired by feelings of all kinds...

The Good: After going through a difficult separation and divorce a few years ago... I began to get my wings back and I could remember... How To Fly. (P.S. I was 41 when I made this necklace — more symbolism).

The Bad: the title of this piece really says it all... Sometimes I Feel Like A Broken Doll Baby. And it's true. Sometimes I feel like I've been through the war zone or something. But I look at my tattered garb, fading paint, scrapes, cracks and worn out parts... and I embrace every one of them!

The Ugly: these Tattered Roses were forgotten before a week long vacation... and looked like this upon my return. As I was about to toss the whole bouquet, I passed by a window. The light shining in onto the windowsill made the perfect contrast for these sad little buds. But I realized in that moment... there is beauty in sadness. We all feel sadness at some point in our lives. Why not embrace it rather than fear it? It's usually the precursor for something much better. And that was the beginning of a whole new direction in my art.

I hope you can be inspired by all your emotions too... the good, the bad and the ugly! It's what makes you... You!