I'm Still Here..................

just been busily tucked away in the studio creating and practising in between the end of year work commitments.
I have continued to work on my sculpting skills and am pleased with my progress. In the middle of this I took another workshop with Christy Meyers which was hosted by Roses on my Table. I loved this Santa ornament so much that I proceeded to make 6 ornaments as gilfts for the girls in my staffroom and prim style santa doll as a gift for DS's teacher and am just finishing off a more traditionaly styled santa doll for myself. Decided I wasn't missing out this time!!
Santa ornaments:
The sculpt:

 

sanded heads

 

painted heads

 

the favourite

 

antiqued and sealed

finished

 There will be many more of these in the future as they are just so darn cute and the most enjoyable thing to create, and no 2 are ever the same.
The Santa Doll:

 

painted

 

head attached to body

 

antiqued and sealed

 

bearded and hatted

 

finished

 

 He was a mega hit with DS's teacher, who unbeknowns to me at the time is described as a 'Christmas Nut' and collector of Santas.

As well as continuing to play with paperclay, I have been experimenting with polymer clay. Slowly developing a more definite idea in my head of where all this is headed. Unfortunately, bears are not featuring heavily, but maybe once I decide exactly what I am going to do, the two will be combined.
I haven't taken progress photos of my santa doll, but will post a photo when he is finished.

Hugs................................Leanne

Introducing...........................

my first clay over cloth Raggedy Anne

I am absolutely thrilled with the result and can't wait to start work on the next one (as soon as I get off here!!!).

This process was totally addictive and I have so many ideas swirling around my head......................

And on that note, here's the inspiration for the next couple of projects

Okay, I'm off to play with mohair, cloth and clay............................

Hugs................................Leanne

Here she comes..........................

all sanded, painted and antiqued. Just needs a final coat of varnish tomorrow after she has thoroughly dried some hair and clothes.

I am really happy with the result ~ what was in my head has transferred into reality. Have a few ideas for  modifications for the next one, but all in all I'm a happy camper today :-)

Hugs for now................................Leanne

Decisions, decisions.....................

after weeks of being completely distracted by trying to work out what sort of dolls I would like to make, hours of watching and rewatching numerous sculpting videos, fiddling around with paperclay and experimenting I have made a decision ~ Raggedy Anne styles made using clay over cloth techniques!!!!!
It all started with a workshop at Artful Gathering with Christy Meyers of CCsWhimsies to create this JOL sculpture:

she still needs to be "dressed" but that requires a trip to Spotlight to get some black tulle. I rarely finish a workshop, but just loved the techniques, and the result, in this workshop.
After a few more attempts I was really happy with the results but wanted to create my look. After investigating more realistic face sculpting and some playing around I decided that I wanted to create dolls in the style of Raggedy Annes that weren't full cloth dolls but somewhere between realistic and whimsical sculpts.
I then found Cloth and Clay Dolls and after numerous viewings of Jane's videos decided to have a go at a clay over cloth doll with the ideas I had in my head. I had been struggling with how to add hair to clay dolls in the syle of Annie, but not necessarily mohair wigs. Think I have solved that problem, but still need to experiment.
And here is the result of my first attempt at a clay over cloth doll.

The base is a basic cloth doll that is firmly filled. I then applied paperclay over the head and shoulders and created boots on her feet. Her arms are also paperclay. She's currently 'baking' in a very low oven to quicken the drying process ~ I'm a bit impatient!!!!!
Tomorrow she will be sanded, painted and antiqued.
Really will need to take a shopping trip to get some appropriate fabrics for her clothing.
Maybe then I will be able to move on with the bears, these dolls have had me so distracted that production on the bears has ground to a standstill.

Off to check the oven.............................

Hugs........................Leanne

Life.........................

has been getting in the way of my creating of late. I'm still here but have done no more on my works in progress :-( .
Work has been insanely busy with the writing of our National Partnerships Evaluation Report, preparing the 2012 timetable, marking and teaching classes. I had the pleasure of escorting a group of our Aboriginal students to a cultural immersion camp for a couple of days/nights this week, and whilst totally enjoyable it is tiring. Love learning about Aboriginal culture from the local elders.
Another big week looming ~ lunch in Sydney at Parliament House with students and a colleague tomorrow, dinner with my HSC class tomorrow night, Hairspray excursion on Wednesday and the Year 12 Formal on Thursday night. Needless to say there will be no creating this week.
However, I start holidays on Friday ~ WOOHOO and plan to finish the whimsies started a while back ~ the paints required to complete are on their way from the US and should arrive this week. We have some jobs planned for the holidays, but I will be giving myself plenty of creating time!!

Time to get some dinner and then attack an overflowing basket of ironing...................


Hugs............................Leanne

The journey continues.............................

At the point that I put bears on the shelf I was yearning 2 things: to experiement with sculpted doll making techniques and airbrushing to compliment my bears. Now that I have found my way back to bears I have still had that desire, and set about learning some new techniques, hence my absence form this blog for a short while. I have been studying online videos of doll sculpting and have found a good airbrushing video (haven't tried that yet)
After studying the videos each night for the past couple of weeks, today wasa the day to 'bite the bullet' and make a start. And so, I have spent this afternoon sculpting 2 doll heads, destined to be companions for bears ~ I think I have found my new theraputic heaven ~ working with the clay is so relaxing and forgiving.
Here are the first 2:

They are currently baking and should be ready for sanding tomorrow. They will then be ready for painting but I will probably leave that until next weekend when I have a better block of time to devote to the task.

Okay, I'm off to cook dinner and then work on another bear..........................

Hugs.............................Leanne

Here Comes Another One.............................

just fiddling with her final accessories and I need to sculpt a doll over the weekend. She should be making her debut next week, but here is a little sneak peak

In the meantime I have several others on the go.
Totally enjoying playing with bears again.

Hugs.........................Leanne

Another on the Way............................

slowly though............... :-(  I have been fighting the dreaded lurgy this week and unfortunately I'm not winning. Have not felt like doing anything, except resting/sleeping on the lounge. Got the motivation to mark out and cut out a new bear on Monday evening but that is where it remains ~ a pile of pieces on my desk.
I have however, had plenty of time to consider what might happen with this new creation and I feel a country vignette coming on.
I'll have no chance to work on it tomorrow as we are heading to Sydney to pick up DPs daughter who is flying in from NZ for a weeks visit. Looking forward to morning tea at Max Brenners chocolate shop (DS's new fav after our week in Sydney last week) and lunch in the revolving restaurant at Centrepoint Tower.
Anyway an early morning awaits, so I need to get to bed...................

Hugs.............................Leanne

SOLD............................

can not describe my surprise to log on and see that a buyer had taken the Buy It Now option for VIOLET.
To momentarily later find the buyer to be an avid collector who had purchased my bears in the past and was someone I considered a friend in the bear world bought a smile to my face...................

Hugs..........................Leanne

A Bear is Listed.........................

on eBay.

This little girl was listed earlier this evening.

My first publicly offered bear in 5 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Link is in the sidebar to the right...........................

Cheers.............................Leanne

Out of the Wilderness........................

I do believe I am back :-). Creatively my thoughts have been constantly focused on teddy bears so I have taken the plunge.

The past few months have had me in creative turmoil, lots of ideas but no real direction. I have had a yearning to return to a more tactile art form and to incorporate some new techniques. So, a plan was hatched ~ decide what I want to do, learn new techniques and then create ~ simple right!! ~ NOT

What to create: go back to what you know and have always loved and have been yearning for ~ mohair teddy bears with companion dolls

New Techniques: move on from cloth dolls to sculpted dolls and art dolls as companions

Learn: how to sculpt doll heads ~ take some online workshops and practice, practice, practice (I'm still practicing!!!). Research art dolls and start collecting found objects.

Do: and that's where I am at now. The first bear of this new beginning has been cut out and is ready to be stitched. The companion is an idea...............................not sure if I'm ready to sculpt originals yet???????????? so the companion maybe a cloth doll??????????? decision to be made later....................

Cheers..............................Leanne

Ooooooops...................

what happened to the rest of February and March?????? Feels like i have just blinked and now it is April although it has been mighty busy at work with a VET audit pending. Only one more week and I will be on holidays ~ woohoo looking forward to that and I only have a few minor work tasks to complete.
I have been playing around with a couple of bears. Think I am ready to start making them again ~ on my terms this time though, not to order and not to a schedule. Here are a couple of photos of the most recent creations:                                       

 A retirement gift for a friend

Headed to England to welcome a new grandchild

Stay tuned, I have more planned.................................

Cheers.................................Leanne