Let It Sno... Peas... and More Art Doll Tales...

Well the weather outside is frighful, but making these dolls is so delightful... and since I've no place to go, I let it sno, let it sno, let it sno... cone, that is! This bright and cheerful tri-colored shaved ice guy is just one of the creations in my most recent collection of Art Dolls. Inspired by my years growing up near the beach and boardwalk, he's all dolled up for the winter!

Have you ever thought that you and your friends were like peas in a pod? Well, so have these gals! This trio of funny-faced, smiling pals are BFF's, and perfectly content right where they are... side-by-side-by-side!

This cute little lawbreaker is titled Guerilla Artist: Tag, You're It! Inspired by wordplay... a guerilla graffiti chick in a gorilla suit... I can't really remember which came first now! Was it the stuffed (and since repurposed) ape I found at a local yard sale? Or was it the graffiti theme? Either way, this piece utilized both my sculpting and graphic design skills which were fun to combine.

Hey, can you tell me what time it is? It's time to make a Steampunk-themed doll, for sure! I started out with the vintage, Vicorian, mixed metal theme for this doll and she took me to heights unknown! So many flea market antiques and parts that I upcycled on her... fabrics, trims, vintage jewelry and bric-a-brac... it took more than 30 hours of dressing and sewing and engineering to get her outfit just right!

And I fell in love with her little copper batwings (which I hand made from copper sheeting) and ultra coool jetpack (made from a vintage oil camp stove burner). This doll was so much fun to create, from her sink drain hat to her salt shaker pantalooned legs! I may have a new favorite.

Hey, man! You goin' down to Yasgur's Farm? Gotta get back to the land and set my soul free! This groovy hippie chick was inspired by the summer of 1969 and the Woodstock concert. Although I was only born a year before half a million people gathered at Bethel, NY for 3 days of Peace & Music, I always loved the 60's. I often dressed in garb just like hers for many a Halloween. Although, I must confess, I've dressed like that on regular days too! Peace!

So... these are just a few of the Art Dolls I've had the pleasure of creating in the past couple of months. At the beginning of the year I had announced I was going to spend the entire year making these dolls, and wow! what a journey it has been. I ended up making 29 dolls altogether, which was less than my goal (although, do my conjoined twins count as two dolls? That would make it an even 30!). But each doll was so different from the previous one, that it took as long as it took to create them! I've sold 12 of them so far, have 5 on reserve, and 6 of my latest dolls will be introduced at Torche Galerie's Winter Exhibit, opening in just a couple weeks!

Torche' Galerie Winter Exhibition

Opening Reception 

Saturday, January 10, 2015

7pm - 10pm

500 Main Street, Belmar, NJ 07719

So come join me at the opening reception and view my latest selection of whimsical Art Dolls as well as the work of more than 50 artists! If you can't make it to the Opening Reception, the show is up through February 28th.

Thanks for coming along on my journey into the Land of Dolls this year! Your support, encouragement and patronage are greatly appreciated!

Happy Holidays!

That's Idiosyn-CRAZY! An Enchanted Holiday Story...

What follows may sound like the fascinating tale of a Holiday Miracle. Being on the receiving end, I'd have to say... it was!

You see... just one week ago, I brought several of my Art Dolls and Modern Vintage Rag Dolls over to a local retailer in Point Pleasant, New Jersey... called Idiosyncrazies. But you won't believe what happened after that! Here's how the story unfolded...

Sharon, the owner, had self-admittedly been stalking my Etsy shop for quite some time after seeing several of my circus-themed items about a year ago. She asked If I would like to feature my dolls in her window for the holidays. My inner voice was like, "Ummm, hell yeah! Seriously?" But my professional self said, "It's definitely something I am interested in."

After a brief meeting and a little show-and-tell, we decided that it would be a great match for both of us. Idiosyncrazies features works from local artists, US made goods, and fair trade items. It's a smorgasbord of goodies... and goodwill. I've loved her shop since I found it years ago, and when she told me that she had a Land of Misfit Toys theme in mind, well... I was hooked!

I carefully selected about 15 Art Dolls and Rag Dolls I wanted to showcase — gathering a group of the most misfit of my bunch — packed them up and brought them over last Tuesday, for Sharon to create her window display. See the eyes watching from inside the box? That's one of my Tillie Knock Down Dolls, and no... I did not plan that. Sharon said when she was setting up the display, it felt like someone was watching her... and took this photo as proof. You never know what can happen in a fairy tale!

Fast-forward to the day after Thanksgiving, when the dolls had been on full display for only their second business day. A longtime patron of Idiosycrazies art had come in first thing, to inquire about the dolls and where she might purchase some like those. Sharon delightfully informed the patron that all the dolls featured in the window were in fact for sale!

The customer asked to see all of the Art Dolls individually, and as Sharon held each one up for a closer look, the customer said, "Okay, I like that one. And that one. And that one. And that one... Oh, I love them all!" She eventually decided on 4 of the 6 dolls... and purchased the Tillie Knock Down Doll as well. I was awe-struck!

If that thrilling transaction wasn't joyful enough, I brought another Knock Down Doll to replace the one she bought... since it left a hole in Sharon's enchanting display. But when the customer came back to leave a deposit for the Art Dolls... she bought that Knock Down Doll too!

And if my heart wasn't already bursting with gratitude, the customer asked the shop owner to have me call her. She had printouts of my dolls in her hand and told Sharon that she would like to buy more!

So... earlier today... I connected with this enthusiastic art collector who so sweetly gushed over my art and creativity. And she bought 3 more dolls.

Holiday Spirits... wherever you are... THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Oh... and she said she'll probably buy more in the future. I am truly blessed!

If you are interested in seeing the window feature or shopping Idiosyncrazies, several of my Art Dolls and Rag Dolls are on display for the month of December... and looking for their forever homes! The shop is located at 638 Arnold Avenue, Pt. Pleasant, New Jersey.

Opening Night - Torche' Galerie - October 18th!

Well, even though summer was filled with lots of fun activities, I've been busy as a Bee Girl creating a few more whimsical characters. And I'm excited to announce that 5 of my newest Folk Art Dolls (as well as a very special marionette doll assemblage!)  have been selected for exhibition at Torche' Galerie in Belmar, NJ. In fact... I'm buzzing with delight!

This Fall Exhibition features a whole host of talented artists in all types of mediums including sculpture, photography, charcoal, watercolor, acrylic, collage, mosaic, mixed-media and so many more categories of intriguing contemporary art. Torche' Galerie is like a little slice of an upscale New York City gallery with a friendly and inviting atmosphere... right here in NJ! And the opening night reception — which many of the artists attend — will blow you away.

Torche' Galerie Fall Exhibition

Opening Reception 

Saturday, October 18, 2014

7pm - 10pm

500 Main Street, Belmar, NJ 07719

So come join me at the opening reception and view my latest selection of whimsical Art Dolls as well as the work of more than 50 artists! If you can't make it to the Opening Reception, the show is up through December 10th, and you can also get a sneak peek of my dolls in the Artist section of the Torche Galerie website.

Hope to see you there!

Dolls on Exhibit... a Torche' Galerie Opening Nite! Saturday, July 12th...

After the great success at their Anniversary Show, I am thrilled to announce that 9 of my newest Folk Art Dolls have been selected for exhibition at Torche' Galerie in Belmar, NJ. In fact... I'm squealing with delight!

Their Summer Exhibition features a whole host of talented artists in all genres including sculpture, photography, charcoal, watercolor, acrylic, collage, mosaic, mixed-media and so many more categories of intriguing contemporary art. Torche' Galerie is like a little slice of an upscale New York City gallery with a friendly and inviting atmosphere... right here in NJ! And the opening night reception will knock your socks off. Good thing it's Summer!

Torche' Galerie Summer Exhibition

Opening Reception 

Saturday, July 12, 2014

7pm - 10pm

500 Main Street, Belmar, NJ 07719

So come join me at the opening reception and view my latest selection of whimsical Art Dolls as well as the work of more than 50 artists! If you can't make it to the Opening Reception, the show is up for two months, and you can also get a sneak peek of my dolls in the Artist section of the Torche Galerie website.

Hope to see you there!

No Clowning Around This Time!

So... right after my last big project — creating 30 custom Knock Down Dolls — I had to go right into a marathon of Art Doll making! With only 17 days until a gallery submission deadline, there was no clowning around for this girl. I had to accomplish what had previously taken me more than 3 times that to do! So... I neglected housecleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, the beach (that one hurt a little!), and I worked night and day, sleeping a lot less than usual... for more than two weeks! But I did it. I created 9 dolls from start to finish in that amount of time. It was a whirlwind of art making, but at the same time it was an incredible journey...

I'm not a big fan of being on an extremely tight deadline. I'm definitely more from the camp that "art takes as long as it takes." Because... well... it does!

However... needing to create quickly helped to keep me from overthinking things. Bonus! I'm definitely an overthinker... pondering the many, many facets for each stage of dollmaking. But I didn't have that luxury this time, and it kind of turned out to be a blessing. I committed to my decisions more quickly... and without much regret. Double bonus!

At times I felt like I was possessed... or that I had sold my soul to the devil. But that was okay, because My Devil Is Da Bomb! Not only do I love making these dolls, but I enjoy coming up with whimsically clever names for them as well. From a design standpoint, don't ask my why my devil has glitter star pasties and a feather boa skirt. That's just my very odd brain hard at work!

Have you ever made a Snow Angel? Yeah... me too! I couldn't very well have a devil without an angel.... so I thought I'd make her white as snow. For good contrast. With a recycled blouse as her gown, some vintage jewelry to keep her afro in check, a repurposed bow, and pearls from my stash... she really is angelic.

For a long time I didn't like my Tooth Fairy. She was a toughie. But I gave her a tulle shawl to match her tutu, a vintage jewel for her halter top and a couple of adorable blue bows for her hair buns... and I fell in love. I actually won't stop — on any of my dolls — until I fall in love. This just took a bit more falling until the love part.

Having grown up near the boardwalks — and knowing that the gallery show would be for two summer months — I had to include some circus-carnival-inspired pieces. Welcome To The Big Top was one of my favorite ideas and I really enjoyed making her a circus tent style dress! Oh, and that hair! Totally over the top.... just how I like it.

And sticking with the circus theme, Dottie The Clown might just be my favorite doll from this group. This tender heart touched my heart the most. So much emotion from that face!

And from the whimsical — and more delicious — memories of my boardwalk days... came Candy Apple. I actually used to eat those things until I felt like I was going to break my teeth one day. So I switched to caramel. That art doll will be next!

And of course, no boardwalk, carnival or circus visit would be complete without an Oops! I Dropped My Ice Cream moment! I can say that I have dropped my ice cream before. And yes... I scooped up the part not touching the ground and resumed eating — without so much as skipping a beat!

So that's a sneak peek at some of the dolls I created for this series. And I am so excited to share with you that Torche' Galerie in Belmar, NJ has accepted all 9 of my dolls for their summer show! I am thrilled beyond words!! You can see the dolls in person at the exhibit opening on Saturday, July 12th, from 7-10. I'll let you know all the details as we get closer!

Dolls on Exhibit... a Torche' Galerie Opening Nite! Saturday, April 12th...

I am beyond excited to announce that seven of my new Folk Art Dolls have been chosen for exhibition at Torche' Galerie in Belmar, NJ. In fact... I'm over the moon!

The exhibit is to mark the gallery's First Anniversary and a whole host of talented artists in all genres were selected for this very special occasion.

Torche' Galerie Anniversary Exhibition

Opening Reception 

Saturday, April 12, 2014

7pm - 10pm

500 Main Street, Belmar, NJ 07719

So come join me at the opening reception and view the work of more than 50 contemporary artists! And if you can't make it, the show is up until May 10th. Check it out... you won't be disappointed.

Ain't She A Doll...

Well, it took a little longer than I anticpated... but I finally finished my first official collection of folk art style dolls for 2014. With 10 little babies to create from paper clay, I ended up letting them discover who they wanted to be as I sculpted away. I did have some very specific ideas for personalities in mind before beginning... but the creative thoughts that came during the process made it that much more exciting. They just came to life in my very hands. I'm such a proud momma.

From bunnies in tutus, to moons orbiting earth, to cotton candy personified, to an underwater sea creature, and more... they were such fun to watch unfold before my eyes! I loved getting lost in the process and finding myself again in the tiniest of details. It was fun. It was frustrating at times. It was even a little scary. But mostly... I enjoyed the unpredictability of this journey.

So, let's take a look at some of my new art dolls...

This is Hope. No matter where she goes, she always feels at home. She's kind of a homebody.

Here is Mother Earth, with the orbiting moon as her head. She's got the whole world in her hands. The scarf was a last minute addition, but it does get cold up there at the North Pole!

Leonardo — a.k.a. The King of Cats — is a real sweetheart and a romantic. I actually used my kitties' naturally shed whiskers for this doll. And yes, I've been collecting those whiskers for years for just such a purpose.

Ain't she sweet? This is Miss Cotton Candy in all her pink glory. With an inverted cone as her off-the-shoulder ball gown, she's ready for a night on... the boardwalk.

Crustacea is Queen of the Lobsters. But it wasn't easy. She had to pinch her way to the top, one arthropod at a time! She's all dressed up for the Coral Cotillion, aboard the sunken pirate Ship Destiny. I wonder what great treasures await her.

And this little angel is Aspen. Made from parts of an old teddy bear (yes, that awesome bow belonged to the bear), she won my heart and will become part of my own personal collection. Now to carve out some time for the next round of dolls. Hmmmm.... where shall I go from here?

You can check out my entire collection of folk art style dolls in more detail in my Etsy shop.

Me, Owww...

There are some times in your life where you just feel like being snarky.... but you still want to look cute doing it. Meow.

A Rainbow Touched My Heart...

One day I was driving around running errands and I saw... a rainbow. Only it wasn't a real, prism-in-the-sky kind of rainbow. It was a logo on a local park sign. But I thought it was cool. So I jotted it down in my notebook for future use, and let it go.

But when I was working on this piece recently, the space to the right of my little blond-headed girl needed something. I wasn't sure what. The elements at the top of the page were rather "heavy" which is why I made her dress black... to balance that all out. And i really liked the cloud, so I wanted to keep that element in there somehow. And then I thought of the line in that Andy Grammer song that goes...

"...only rainbows after rain..."

And bing! The multicolored image from my journal popped into my head. And although I was planning to use it with a shooting star... why not a rainbow straight to your heart?

It worked as the perfect element to fill up the space and I loved the story that went along with it...

"The storm passed and then a rainbow touched my heart."

That's kind of how I feel when life hands me something that I didn't think I could handle... and then I get through it and feel so much more empowered. And I thought this was a great visual reminder of that sentiment.

What Does A Deer Dream Of?

I had this idea to create a painting featuring a deer girl character and needed something to fill the open area over her shoulder. I put out a Facebook poll and got lots of fun answers like: clover, butterflies, romping in the sun, ancient elk, bejewling their antlers, several eating-the-flowers-in-my-garden references, and few deer-hunts-people suggestions, including a twist on the old "Hunters Stew"! But in the end, I decided that my cloven-hoofed girl was dreaming about a pair of pink Mary Jane pumps. Sometimes we want what we cannot have!

I began by creating a two-toned sky using a funky number stencil. I figured she'd be dreaming about numerous pairs of fun shoes.

I created the impression of flowers, grass (and clover) by using layers and layers and layers of all shades of green paint, applied with foam stamps from Claudine Hellmuth's Studio collection (my all-time favorites!).

Then I transferred my image onto the completed background. I confess that many times I'm still not brave enough to draw directly on the canvas. I don't want to mess it up! This method suits me just fine though, and now I have a template to create lots and lots of deer, dreaming of lots and lots of other stuff.

A layer of white insures that whatever cheap acrylics I paint over top will keep their color integrity without a lot of wrestling with tons and tons of layers.

The faces always intimidate me and I end up working on them somewhere in the middle of my painting process. She was the first girl I did in this style with her eyes closed and it really came out very dreamy looking. Hooray!

My favorite shoes are Mary Jane's and they make an interesting-looking illustration as well. Making them obnoxiously pink... well, I couldn't resist!

A few swirls of pink in the flowers to pull it all together and a few dots of white on her body to create more texture and the painting is complete. I'm totally in love with her. And hey... if I were a cloven-hoof girl, I'd be dreaming of high heel shoes too. And maybe a few bucks. Oh, deer!

Have My Cake and Paint It Too...

One of my most recent journal pages started out with a sweet theme and just got sweeter from there! With cake as the subject matter... can I really go wrong?

If you know me, any form of pink and teal or blue can be a predictable starting point. This time I thought I'd add a little brown and cream for good measure (a baking reference...get it!).

I had actually painted the cake on the page before the girl was there... part of my brave new strategy of just doing something and not worrying about how it will end up in the final composition. But, I have to confess that I liked it so much, I didn't want to cover it up.

So, of course when I added the girl, she had to be eyeing up that slice of chocolate cake with strawberry frosting. Mmmmmmm. I see that little smirk on her face! She's totally thinking.... MINE!

When I create these pages, I like to alternate painting, drawing, embellishing and pasting stuff on. I kinda sorta randomly pick from my ephemera pieces that just look good on the page... like this number 5 from a flash card. I think I chose this because the nicely aged cardstock went well with the polka-dotted scrapbook page next to it. And because 5-year-olds like cake!

But then i found this cute little spanish language flash card that had a 5 on it... and so I added that to the piece as well. And I just love sounding out (say it with me now...) OO-nah moó-CHA-chah.

Even more delightfully delicious ephemera kept finding its way to my cakey journal page and this one was probably my favorite. The celebratory birthday girl and boy were precisely placed over top of the music page so that the words "be good" appeared between them.

It's funny how when I'm working on a page, it feels like I'm on auto pilot. Not in a bad way. But I just make moves and then work with what's there. Then I make more moves and add more, tweak more and play more until the layout is pleasing to the eye.

But when I look back at all my detail photos, I see dozens upon dozens of carefully calculated decisions... a warm wash of paint here... some extra glitter there... a pencil scratch here... a candy wrapper there.... or the smallest of elements that really felt good at the time. And then I remember what a joy it is to create in the moment... even though my goal is a finished page.

So I guess I can have my cake and paint it too!