miniature ventures

Hello! Here are a few tiny mandrake babies I made for a dollhouse show that was held in Chicago. They are way too labor intensive to make for sale again, but I might make a couple for my own dollhouse garden. I made the pots and most of the sculpture from polymer clay, with accents from lichen, stones, sand and flock. They came out pretty cute, I think.
These little sculptures were adapted from some of my existing pieces. I carved bases and altered each one a little, so they are different from the originals. These little pieces work surprisingly well in a miniature setting. I did really well with these tiny statues! I'll probably try making a few more sculptures, maybe some reproductions of my favorite artists work. I wonder if folks would like seeing miniature Kiki Smith bird people? I know I would. Actually, cats might go over a little better. Anyway, they are just a fun side project. Tell me what you think!

Art Fest

Art Fest 2012 has come and gone and I was really happy to be a part of it. The days past in a blur of teaching, laughing and making new friends. It rained most of the days and I was too busy to take pictures during class, so I don't have many photos. The two beach pictures were taken on North Beach. It was really windy, but beautiful.
Look how rocky this beach is! Very pretty, but extremely treacherous, especially if you were clogs.
This is a tower on Fort Worden, a lovely structure with a castle-like feel, overlooking the sound.
For some reason, the place is crawling with friendly deer! You can walk right up to them. I liked seeing them fearless and peaceful.
I found this little sprig on a bush loaded with flowers. I might use the bell shape of the flower for something....maybe in my new root baby paintings. Andrew will have more on that subject.
I am totally enamored with the shapes in lichen. The lace-like forms are so pretty and reminiscent of underwater creatures. Don't they remind you of coral?
Here's a class sample from my Wonder Cabinet Butterflies class. I wish I'd gotten pictures of the students work. There were so many cute ones! Maybe Andrew took some pictures. I hope so. It felt so energetic and exciting, which was catching. I am disappointed its the last year, but maybe someone else will step up and take over. Although I am relieved to be finished, since teaching is a bit nerve wracking for me (I get so anxious that I won't be a good teacher). Anyway, it was good practice for some upcoming events.

Angel Egg Dolls

Last year I stumbled on a photograph of an astonishingly lovely porcelain ball jointed doll and my first reaction was that of delight. I was instantly reminded of a childhood memory I'd nearly forgotten. It was early evening, the light slanted low into a shop window, bathing the objects in a golden veil. It was the first time I'd ever seen antique dolls like this, dressed in ancient lace and velvet, their hair braided with pearls, their painted smiles serene. I remember standing with my mother for a long while, studying the beauties and pointing out little details I liked and wondering aloud about who the dolls were and who they once belonged to. I found myself feeling the same way about the doll in the photograph, intrigued, delighted and longing to know more.

As someone who is not new to the doll world ( I love collecting and making them!) I was delighted to see an artist I'd never seen before. I learned the dolls are called 'Angel Egg Dolls' (because the artist imagined the dolls born from the eggs of angels) and are created completely by hand by Marmite Sue, an artist based in Tokyo, Japan. Each doll is created from a set of molds, then hand carved to customize each piece. The parts are then painted with china glazes, each light layer of paint fired in the kiln until the colors are bright and saturated. Porcelain is a delicate material, translucent and fine, a perfect canvas to allow light to diffuse throughout the piece and through the layers of china paint,creating a luminous quality.

While porcelain may be delicate, it is also one of the most enduring substances known. Beautifully glazed pots have survived thousands of years, the glazes as clear today as they were when they emerged from the kiln. The amazing thing about porcelain is the chemical change that occurs during firing, the silica becomes glass, which is then impermeable to stains, discoloration or fading. The idea of how long the dolls will be around is very appealing to me.... I like imagining the world they'll exist in far in the future.

One of the most appealing qualities of an Angel Egg Doll is the options for customization. On a basic doll the faces can be swapped, carved to look completely different and painted with one's choice of makeup. The eyes can be changed from the back of the head, altering the appearance greatly. The wig is removable, so the possibilities for shifting personalities is endless.

Another unique feature Marmite Sue offers with her dolls is the possibility of carved cut outs, or pierce work. This unusual look borrows from porcelain china tea services, where borders are delicately pierced and carved to resemble lace. Little roses can be added to the neck or ankle, as well as beautifully sculpted flowers and swirls. Tattoos can be incised into the clay, so pigment can be rubbed into the surface, like intaglio plates or scrimshaw.

My favorite thing about these dolls is the jointing. They seem very fluid and natural. This appeals to me for a couple of reasons, the main one being that with most forms of sculpture, you experience it from a distance, but these seem to have an interactive, almost intimate quality in that they are the perfect size to hold and pose. The other reason is that these joints seem more human, which to me, is one of the reasons I love dolls in the first place. The imitation of life and the creation of characters and personalities is endlessly interesting to me. I guess that's why I like these dolls so much. They are so different from anything I've ever seen! I've really enjoyed looking at this talented artists work and can't wait to see more.

fairy paper doll

I think I might be a little obsessed with paper dolls lately. Here's another one! This is a fairy I painted with watercolors and egg tempera on paper.
I love how they can be posed! Azalea and I played with her for awhile, rearranging her petals and leaves, placing her in front of different backdrops and coming up with ideas for her name. She thought of 'Lyra', while I said 'Grunty' or even better, 'Wingding'. I find it amusing to come up with really weird names and see Azalea's face. Its so cute how she tries to be nice about my horrible choice of names.
Here are a few samples I made before finishing the doll. The one on the left is the first draft that I used to make the pattern. The strangely colored version is one I printed on our printer (the black ran out) to use as a test to make sure the limbs looked natural when assembled.
This is the finished painting, with the pencil lines still on it. I like this girl. Her palette was inspired by Jack-in-the-Pulpits (a bizarre woodland flower that grows in our backyard) and a lovely butterfly called a Blue Pansy.

I have to admit I find making these pretty relaxing. I work on them between projects, or when I start getting stressed out. Of course, I am getting pretty frazzled with Art Fest just a couple of weeks away! I'm not worried about teaching, or having enough materials, or if folks will get their monies worth - I know the projects and am not stingy with information, so I think it will be good. I worry about things like sending the materials, which are sensitive, that could leak, or be ruined by some over enthusiastic person checking packages. I just need to have faith that things will arrive safely. Anyway, I've been working non-stop on the classes to make sure they are amazing.

woodland babies

Paper dolls are really fun to make, especially cutting and assembling them. The activity brings to mind long afternoons spent with my sister and brother, gathered around the dining room table quietly creating fairies, monsters and mermaids for our little world. The picture above is the first draft of the dolls, a sketch to see how the parts will fit together.
This is a shot of the transferred sketch (the line drawing) and the watercolor in progress.
The finished watercolor! I like to use a variety of materials when I paint. Egg tempera is used over washes of Daniel Smith's gemstone pigment watercolors, which have a delightful tendency to form patterns while the water is drying. The egg tempera is an opaque paint, which has a satiny sheen that is very luminescent. The last details are painted with acrylic ink and a crow quill pen, for the tiniest lines or dots (like in the eyes).
I took this assembled set to a park where I knew of a few stumps with turkey tail and lichen growing on them. It was really windy, which made taking pictures especially challenging.
Here are a couple close ups of the assembled dolls. I made lots of parts to mix and match between the dolls, which is kind of fun, I think.
I had them printed on heavy cardstock, with a nice satin finish. The colors printed surprisingly well, almost identical to the original. I love this batch so much. I think I'll paint a background for them, although they look pretty good in a shadowbox frame! I'll put these in my etsy shop for sale within the next few days.

The Secret World of Arrietty

Last night, we had a girls night out and went to see The Secret World of Arrietty, a Hayao Miyazaki film. Its based on 'The Borrowers' by Mary Norton, a classic story about tiny people living in the walls of houses. I am a big fan of Miyazaki's films, my favorite being Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, so I was prepared to be dazzled by beautiful animation. I wasn't disappointed! This film is full of little details, which are a pleasure to find. My daughter loved spotting all the big people things the borrowers used (like a chess piece as a sculpture, a pin served a sword, stamps used as delightful artwork for the walls). The story is well paced and the soundtrack a perfect backdrop to the action. The actors are really adept at following the animation, so there are no lags or weird spots where the lips are moving and the voices are all wrong.

We really loved this movie and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys classic stories or great animation. I can't wait till this is available on dvd, so I can have it on while I work!

Tucson

So the shows are coming to an end (only one day left of The Best Bead Show) and its time to wrap it up and take stock of the whole experience. I've been seeing some posts and updates about negativity, not making a lot of money, people behaving clique-ishly, how the economy is bringing out the worst in folks and how its not fun anymore.

I have an observation that I want to make in reaction to these negative comments floating around about how the Tucson Shows have become unpleasant. I think I am more than qualified in putting in my two cents, since I've done the shows since the early days, when there were only TWO bead shows.

All gatherings of people will attract a few folks that love to talk, that love to bemoan their situation, love to cause a stink and some really love the spotlight no matter if its good or bad. That's life. You can find this behavior in schools, doll shows, dog shows, bird shows, comic cons, art shows, retreats and bead shows. I've attended hundreds and hundreds of gatherings and its always the same. Here's what makes a difference: when people stop the negativity. It sounds simple, but the reality is, you are in control of who you spend your time with, where you shop, where you eat and you can say 'well, since that person is a buddy of mine, let's talk about something else. Where'd you find those amazing stones?'. I've learned from experience that if you nip the 'neg' in the bud, people usually get the hint.

When I was starting out, I received some good advice from a successful vendor I was set up next to, that was doing amazing. They told me to always try and have a great time, even if you aren't selling, its raining, you're hungry, tired, whatever. People attend shows to have a good time and find amazing things. If your a huge downer, no one is going to stick around to see what you have. If things aren't going well, I give myself a mental shake and think about what IS going great, like making new contacts, seeing old friends and looking at all the great art shown around me. Things always improve.

We set up booths at three shows this year and we did very well. We always have an amazing time. Really, how can you not love seeing all the beads, specimens and precious stones gathered from every corner of the earth? You kind of have to try and not enjoy yourself. Even someone as jaded as I am has a blast. Its a wonderful gathering every bead artist and collector should attend at least once. Don't be influenced into not going because someone had a bad show, or is resentful of the success of others. I look forward to it every year and have yet to be disappointed.

close ups

Here are a few pictures of some of the new pieces cast in metal, including the horse clasp in shibuichi. The lucky cat and wolf will be available on our website, or on Fusion Beads or Lima Beads sites. The horse clasp will be available on Jess Imports site.

relax

We have been working hard, so now its time to take a short break before getting ready for Art Fest! I have the classes hammered out, but I want to make lots of delightful things for vendor night and some special prizes for my students. Anyway, I've spent the last couple of days relaxing with the kids, taking walks and drawing pictures. It has been lovely, but I need to get back to work making new things.

New for Tucson!

Bronze and shibuichi fairy pendant.
Bronze and rose cut sapphire owl face pendants.
My new little articulated turtle! Finally molded and cast!
Greg's sweet faced baby bat with articulated wings (I didn't put in his garnet cabochon eyes in the picture above). These pieces and more will be available at The Best Bead Show and also at The To Bead True Blue Show, followed by The Tucson Show.

It has been nice to finally relax a little after the storm that is the preparation of these big shows. Its a little subdued around here, now that the shows are in full swing, but I've stayed busy since there's always something to finish up. Maybe I can take the night off and read a book.