Pursuing the Muse

Clay Day

2011-09-11T17:50:00.001-04:00

Joyce, Chris and I spent all day making doll heads from paper clay and tarlatan fabric. We discussed the Fiber Arts Guild pot luck dinner and upcoming opportunities. We checked out the latest fashions (always fun) and emotions(not positive) on Project Runway. We ate tasty food. We took a field trip to the Utrecht store. But mainly we made doll heads.

Emily's bird person-expect colorful plumage.

Chris' old woman and Star Gazer.

Joyce frightened Victor with scary noises.

Our Dolls at the AFIC Conference

2011-05-14T07:17:00.002-04:00

Fringe Element Exhibit

Joyce's Cecily in the Just for Fun Exhibit

Chris' Wish Doctors in the Just for Fum Exhibit

Joyce's Wild Hare wins third in Original Design

Emily's Leaf Kicker wins second in the Original Design.

Emily's class project

Joyce's class project

Wild Hare

2011-05-02T12:49:00.000-04:00

Wild Hare made his debut at AFIC and brought home a ribbon!

Congrats to Emily who brought home 2nd place.

Aboe: Wild Hare all ready for assembly, and later with his ribbon. He is needle felted, has wooden wheels and sports a carrot filled back satchel.

from the department of monkey parts

2011-04-06T12:42:00.000-04:00

you have to understand i am involved with two of the most interesting women.

we are engaged in an artistic adventure.

we make dolls, we spitball ideas, we eat, we laugh (god how we laugh),

we support each other in ways hard to put into words.

these are magnificent women and i love them to the bottom of my heart.

last night we had one of our doll nights.

in the middle of a stray conversation in a discussion about dolls and classes...

monkeys were mentioned in an offhanded joke.

up jumps emily and dashes off to the department of monkey parts.

you see we work at emily's house and she has the most amazing stashes of stuff.

we call them the departments...usually supplies.

but last night we hit the motherload of glee.

the department of monkey parts

back she comes with a handfull of silly.

my mood last night was this guy.

but it didn't last.

cuz of the department of monkey parts.

so now i am working on the doll with monkey parts.

and i shout to the blessed stars

i love these women.

thank you joyce compton

thank you emily eckel

you rock my world

made years ago

2011-03-16T12:20:00.001-04:00

i never named this doll

tho akira blount said it was my spirit doll.

one of my first designed by me dolls

still don't know if i'm happy with the feathers on the bottom

but i always loved her face.

almost pretty.

i don't do pretty well.

this one i'm proud of.

Checking In

2011-03-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

I've made some progress on two projects. The Button Clown has a bit more context. It's starting to have a game like quality.

This clown needs more buttons.

This head was too small!

This head was too big!

This head is just right! Finally!

Enough with the Goldilocks experience with the head size. Now I can get on to the face, arms and neck.

2011-03-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

the newest

a pearl wish doctor

when you don't even have a penny to toss in the well

she feels great.

shell and glass beads

and pearls pearls pearls

black cream and white

the face is a ceramic button

and the back

Emily Dolls

2011-02-27T17:44:00.000-05:00

Chris Dolls

2011-02-26T18:46:00.000-05:00

Dolls all Day

2011-02-26T18:44:00.000-05:00

2011-02-25T10:31:00.000-05:00

one more in the series:

wish doctors

when that wish bone breaks the wrong way

beads are bone, shell and citrine.

2011-02-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

new dolls

wish doctors

when all the candles just don't go out

and the back

wish doctors

when its too cloudy to see that first star

wish doctors

when the dandelion fluff is damp

and

day of the dead

the head is a carved nut (i did not carve it)

the skulls are bone (ditto)

the beads are garnets and hemitite

mom dislikes this one

but it feels so good

and the back

Tom Henkel's photos of Joyce's dolls

2011-01-30T15:59:00.000-05:00

Tom Henkel's photos of Chris' doll

2011-01-30T15:57:00.000-05:00

Tom Henkel's photos of Emily's dolls

2011-01-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

Last third chiming in.

2011-01-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

I've been remiss in adding my 3rd of the conversation, so, finally, here I am, Girls!

This journey has been difficult for me to start. I picked a tough subject to get out of the gate with, Lingering Anger. Finally, I resigned to let her (hmm...is this one a "she"?) just flow out and alas, a face was born last night. Once I've gotten a face down, I always know I am in good shape with a new doll. I can relate to it!

Tough subject, tough doll, but it is being born.

Above: Detail from "Lockjaw Mojo", found object assemblage doll. Perhaps he will be part of the collection.

details

2011-01-26T14:52:00.000-05:00

detail of the gnome bodhisattva

he needs some refining

but i likes him

and a new thought

a series of drawers from an old poorly made set

filled with my list of

things that are good

this is the moon

this is my day of the dead from the same series.

i think strange things are good

progress

2011-01-25T13:53:00.000-05:00

so here is the first of the bodhisattva

i think he is a gnome bodhsiattva

and i think he is not happy to be last in line for nirvanna

the sculpt is paper clay over wood and needs much refining

but i'm liking him

Making Progress on Taking Photos

2011-01-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

Got the new lights and took the first photos with the new background.

I was worried about having enough room for the lights but it was OK.

The ironing board turned out to be a good table for the background.

The background looks very professional. The photo needs some work on the focus and exposure.
But it is better than my previous efforts!

The exposure problems might be fixable with soft ware but not the focus.


The details are better than the full figures.

revisiting an old idea

2011-01-18T13:53:00.000-05:00

bodhisattva

inspired by visits to japan and thailand

Images of us

2011-01-15T18:23:00.000-05:00

Images of Chris

2011-01-15T18:22:00.000-05:00

Images of Joyce

2011-01-15T18:18:00.000-05:00

Images of Emily

2011-01-15T18:17:00.000-05:00

i guess clowns may have to be a minor theme

2011-01-13T11:58:00.000-05:00

OK doc, here is a better beginning reference shot.

yardstick on the side shows size

torso and head are a yard.

legs and thighs add another yard.

he will be smaller when complete.

all pieces are cardboard with a coat of black gesso to stabilize.

with open edges i decided to mache' the whole piece and gesso again. and this is where i am to date.

Are clowns an emerging theme?

2011-01-12T17:40:00.000-05:00

Interesting we are both working on clowns. This one just got ball fringe hair and a neck ruffle. Perhaps he is a button deity. The pose and proportions are just weird.

cosmic clown

2011-01-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

this is my attempt to document my progress on the wall doll i am making for the show.

it is a version of the traditional jumping jacks of old.

i am hoping that by posting the progress on the doll, i will actually work on making progress on the doll.