~ SaTUrDaY's WiERd & WOnDeRFuL ~

p o l y s c e n e - works by Polly Verity......

Wire & Paper ~

Curved folds, no cut or glue ~

p o l y s c e n e

Thank you Evelyn of Evelyn's Wonderland for introducing us to Polly Verity's amazing paper art.

ADO Featured Artist: Sarah Pogue

This week's artist feature is Sarah Pogue of Archetypal Theatre.

Please tell us about yourself. What is your name? Where do you live? What makes you tick?

Hi! I am Sarah Pogue aka Archetypal Theatre. I currently live in Cincinnati, Ohio with my baby daughter, a crazy dog and a ton of artwork in progress.





When did you start making dolls? Why did you start making dolls?

I started sewing my own play dolls as a little girl. I had a subscription to Doll Collector Magazine when I was about 10 and felt an overwhelming desire to make dolls as good as the ones I saw in the magazine, but with my own spin on them. Like a fantasy made real.

I really got serious about doll making after college when I had this idea to make an art piece consisting of marionettes of preteen girls in the guise of fairytale characters, sort of a social commentary – I won’t get into it. Anyway, I had been a painter before, but this awoke the sculpting urge and from then on I was obsessed with learning doll making techniques. When I discovered Paperclay and wool with all the possibilities of felting, spinning and dying, I really knew that I had found my unique visual language.





Who or what influences you? Inspires you?

Nature and spirituality are my main influences and inspirations. I find faces endlessly fascinating, so I am always on the lookout for striking features. I can easily spend half a day following online links to amazing artists past and present, which is inspiring, as well. I read a lot of folklore, fairytales, psychological theory and mystical texts, which all find their way into my work. Some of the doll makers I have admired for a long time are Wendy Froud, Anna Avigail Brahms, Beatrice Perini, Jamie Williamson and now all the wonderful doll makers of ADO inspire me, as well!. Sometimes I wish I could just make straight-up dolls like they do, but mine always end up like doll art/fine art hybrids (thus making them hard to market, argh!)




Tell us a little about your dolls and your process for making them. Materials, preliminary sketches, inspiration, etc. 


Sometimes I have a concept and go right to sketching, other times I will start making a face and the concept will come later. I always sketch, though, to work out the proportions, colors and armature structure. Next, I sculpt the head and neck. Then on to the body armature, base and hands. Now I will sand and paint (my favorite part!). I use many layers of watercolor or acrylic paint to give the skin depth and luminosity. With some dolls, I wrap the body in batting and start on the costume. Usually this means spinning, felting or dying wool to get just the right look. Other dolls are full body sculpts, entirely in paperclay.


Do you have a favorite doll? It can be handmade by you, handmade by someone else, or even (gasp) mass production.

I have a lovely blonde Sasha doll that used to live in the playroom of my grandmother’s house. It came to me after she passed away and reminds me of her. She was an artist, as well, and the memory of her is one of the things that keeps me going in my creative pursuits. I love the doll’s quiet and gentle expression. 




Besides making dolls, what do you do? Job, other creative pursuits, hobbies, etc. 


I am also a fine artist with a focus on portraits and an aspiring illustrator. I have had A LOT of part time jobs over the years to supplement this, some better than others (my favorites were working at the public library, teaching art at summer camp and renting skis in Snowmass – free lift ticket!) Right now, I am staying home with my baby girl and doing my artwork at night, mostly.

Other things I spend my time doing are traveling, veggie gardening (I try to grow as much of my own food as possible), yoga, reading and making waldorf-style toys for my daughter.


What are some of your favorite: movies, books, websites, magazines, foods, TV shows, music? (Any or all!)

Hmm, these are ever evolving…

Movies: LOTR, Amelie, Last of the Mohicans

Books: Harry Potter, Corelli’s Mandolin, anything by Pema Chodron or Joseph Campbell

Magazines: Mother Earth News, Yoga Journal

Tv shows: Modern Family, Americas Next Top Model (I’m not ashamed!)

Music: Tori Amos, Radiohead, jam bands, celtic



If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? 


Italy! I studied there for a year and a half and I am always plotting my return. Especially Florence and Venice make me feel like I am living in a parallel plane with the Renaissance period and all of its amazing artwork. Even the gym I went to was housed in a palazzo with gorgeous frescoes on the ceiling – nothing like looking up at Roman goddesses to keep you motivated!


Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? Ten years?

I have never lived anywhere for longer than 2 years in my adult life and I am approaching it this summer, so I am feeling the itch…Aside from geography, I see myself continuing to make art, hopefully with a children’s book to my name. I just want the quality of what I make to keep getting better and better!





Where can we find you on the internet? (blog, website, Etsy shop, eBay, et al.)

Blog

Website

Etsy

Ebay

BTW, my sculptures are mostly all at Gallery in the Woods in Vermont right now instead of my Etsy store, but my paintings are in the shop and more dolls are coming soon!

~ TREASURY ALERT ~

New Member Spotlight - Sharon Ferguson

Happy Sunday morning, ADO readers!
Today's new member spotlight is on Sharon Ferguson of Felt Forest.
Sharon is a lifelong artist working primarily in felting, which she says she took up 8 years ago after making a present for her daughter. She says she loves "all things to do with fairy tales, folk stories and forests among many other inspirations". Each of her pieces are teensy tinsy and full of immense detail and wonderment!
Get to know Sharon and check out her work by visiting her Etsy shop, blog, and flicker site.
Welcome to the team, Sharon!

~ TREASURY ALERT ~

first 2011 quaterly challenge, steampunk !

Here are the dolls ADO created for our first quaterly challenge for 2011!

We had steampunk style as an inspiration, so we steamed it or punked it but we all tried to rock !

by Abi Monroe

by Amber Leilani Middleton

by Bonnie Jones

by Carla Trujillo

by Carolyn Sue Campbell

by Donna Cooper

from Cooper dolls

by Dorote Zaukaite Villela

from Tireless Artist

by Emily Jane Hamaker-Olsen

by Hoopie

by Jade Perez

from Newagedolls

by Jan Bush-wood

from Lucy s Baby

by Jordan Taylor

from Jordan Rou

by Cayleigh Milne- Keeley

from Daffidolls

by Kandra Niagra

from Wee Peeple Doll Constructions

by Marsha Mees

from Sassy Mini Dolls

by Sandie Nowel

from Fairy Wings and Mermaids Tales

by Feltoohlala

by Natasha Morgan

by Stitchy Woo Woo

by Kandra Niagra

from Wee Peeple Constructions

I hope you enjoyed these answers for this challenge, and that you visited the shops , blogs ,and websites where these dolls belong to!

Next quaterly challenge by the end of June!

ADO is accepting new members!

a small amount of Membership spots have opened up and we will be accepting a very limited number of new members. You can apply to join on our website, please be sure to read over the team requirements.

ado membership is now full!

~ TREASURY ALERT ~

New Member Spotlight - Yovanka Black

Happy Sunday, ADO readers!
Today's new member spotlight is on Yovanka Black.
Yovanka lives in Athens, Greece and is a self taught doll artist who has been making her wonderfully lifelike and very detailed sculptures for the last five years. She says "art and people always fascinated me and the tremendous satisfaction I drew from combining the two, as a self-taught hobby, was what eventually led me to finally choose doll-making as a career".
Yovanka's dolls are all one of a kind and range in height from 5" to 45". Wow!
Get to know Yovanka by visiting here ETSY shop, blog, and flicker account.
Welcome to the team, Yovanka!

Tips and Tricks Friday

Today's Tip is something I'm embarrassed to admit I just learned.  One of those things I should have learned a loooooong time ago, but discovered only this week...by accident.  How much hand-sewing would it have saved me?  Don't wanna think about it.

Such a little thing.  And so many doll and toy makers, costumers, seamstresses surely already know.  But for the small percent of people who do NOT know this, I will share, right out in public.

The tip: when cutting out small detailed figures for sewing, DON'T cut around the small bits, separating them from the main body.  For example, see the little doll figure in the drawing?  If this were a tiny doll (much like the one I was making this week), you would leave the section of cloth between the arm and the body, and the section between the legs.  Sew the pieces together, and THEN cut out the extra fabric.  The small bits (limbs, in this case) remain stable, with no scooting here and there while you sew (and cuss).  Seams remain straight and unwarped.

Yea, that's it.  But I have avoided sewing small detailed things for years simply because I didn't know this one little thing! For those of you who already knew this: thank you for your patience.  For those of you who didn't; you're welcome.  :~) 

ADO Featured Artist: Dolores Marple.

This week's artist feature is Dolores Marple of Troll Tracks.

Please tell us about yourself. What is your name? Where do you live? What makes you tick?

My name is Dolores Marple or Lori for short. I now live in Southeast Indiana, but originally came from upstate NY

.

When did you start making dolls? Why did you start making dolls?

I've been making some sort of characters for most of my life. Before polymer clay became so popular, I made realistic wildlife in wood. I always wanted to make trolls though, so when polymer clay came along I worked with it off and on.

Who or what influences you? Inspires you?

Many things inspire me. I am influenced by all the great art I see everyday online and by nature when I walk my dog in the campground nearby.



Tell us a little about your dolls and your process for making them. Materials, preliminary sketches, inspiration, etc.

My dolls are sometimes trolls or fairies and sometimes animals of all descriptions. I have the ideas floating around in my head until one day it all comes together into a fantasy doll. I use cute plus exaggeration of features to make silly, fun creatures.

Do you have a favorite doll? It can be handmade by you, handmade by someone else, or even (gasp) mass production.

Actually my favorite doll is a baby doll made by Ashton Drake. He is a realistic and atomically correct infant that is sleeping. I also just love the monkeys that I made from a reborn kit.

Besides making dolls, what do you do? Job, other creative pursuits, hobbies, etc.

I also keep tropical fish and made a pond for goldfish. Hiking, camping, canoeing are other things I love. 



What are some of your favorite: movies, books, websites, magazines, foods, TV shows, music? (Any or all!)

I do not find much on TV, but I do love American Pickers and Pawn Stars on the history channel.

Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? Ten years?

I hope to increase my sales and really be able to make my living selling my art dolls and tutorials. In ten years I will be retired and hope to supplement my income this way and travel to the western part of the USA.

Where can we find you on the internet? (blog, website, Etsy shop, eBay, et al.)

My eBay ID is Trolltracks,

my etsy store is www.trolltracks.etsy.com

my blog is www.followingtrolltracks.blogspot.com

~ TREASURY ALERT ~

Facebook Fan Page Photo Feature

Thank you so much Kay Warner for sharing her "owl person" for April's MMC challenge-Forest Folk. To visit Kay's blog, CLICK HERE. To vist Kay's Etsy shop, CLICK HERE.

Want to have your doll featured on the ADO blog?
Take part in our Mini Monthly challenge for April, Forest Folk
post it to our wall and you may just find your doll featured on the ADO blog!
original one of a kind dolls inspired by Forest Folk.
**please note***
...There is no guarantee that if you participate in the challenge that your work will be posted to the ADO blog unless you are a ADO member.

Thanks so much for sharing your pictures on ADO's Facebook page!

New Member Spotlight - Shauna Henry

Happy Sunday, ADO readers!
Today's new member spotlight is on Shauna Henry of Shauna Henry Original Art Dolls. Shauna took up doll making in 2009 and says that she never classified herself as a creative person until she found art dolls. She says that making dolls is never boring due to "the vastness of materials at her disposal" and her "favorite part about creating dolls is that you can do so many different crafts in one". I am personally digging her melancholy angel series for this very reason! Shauna is currently participating in the Travelling Art Doll Project and you can get to know more abut her and her dolls by visiting her ETSY shop and blog .
Welcome to the team, Shauna!

Saturday's WeiRD and wOndERfUl:

Happy Saturday, all you ADO Blog Followers! Today we feature these beautiful photographs by Luis Beltran. Luis Beltran is from Valencia, Spain, check him out at:

http://www.luisbeltran.es

http://be.net/LuisBeltran