Element Challenge...........

Kat over at Cloth Doll Artistry has been hosting a challenge in the Art Doll Studio where the inspiration was one of the four elements ~ earth, wind, fire or water. I chose fire and this is the result:

BLAZE

Her limbs are wrapped with sari silk and metallic thread. Her dress is created from 2 pieces of fabric I created using the solvy technique and adorned with vintage velvet flowers. Her wig is handmade and the result of an online class over at A for Artistic.

Currently enjoying the mid year holidays. Spent the first few days in Sydney at the Teachers Federation Annual Conference and have spent the rest of the week "playing" around with dolls and completing some yard jobs that were put on the back burner.
Off to play some more. Think I have finally reached a decision on the direction I am heading with my dolls.

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

Painted................

Have had a lovely day playing. My elements challenge doll isn't finished, but not much more to do. I have been working on her wig using a new technique which I am very pleased with.
The girls are painted:

Off to bed, big day craft shopping tomorrow!!

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

Update..............

a busy week here due to mid year assessment and reporting, but as I have a little play in cyberspace, I am pleased to say that my reports are all completed for this half year.
I have had some time to sculpt and start to try out new ideas. These are the 2 dolls I have in the works:
 
 
I learnt the fabric covering technique at the workshop. Learnt a few things in these experiments: can not have long thin necks or the neck set back too far from the chin ~ note to self for the next model.
I have painted the faces this morning and just waiting for them to dry. I'll take more photos this afternoon.

This is the doll I made in the workshop.

That's all from me at the minute. Hoping to finish my element challenge doll this afternoon and I am off to a Quilt and Craft fair tomorrow..................happy days!!

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

Today was......................

the day Santa died in our house :-). DS informed me that he had looked up Santa in the dictionary and the definition confirmed his suspicions. Still I am thankful that we got to eleven years before the mystery disappeared. We've had a discussion about the magic of Christmas and all is good.

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

A Little Catch up..................

I'm still here. Have been busy, busy, busy, unfortunately not so much with the sculpting. I am enjoying a couple of weeks long service leave and thought I would spend my days playing, but life has gotten in the way!!
I am heading to Melbourne tomorrow with my Mum and Dad to visit with my sister and her family and to do a doll workshop with world renowned artist Susie McMahon. You can see her work here:
http://susiemcmahondolls.blogspot.com.au/
and this is the doll I am going to create:

Despite all that however, I do have few things to show. In paperclay I have these three country raggies awaiting completion:

and I am working on this girl for an elements challenge:

I have made some pieces of fabric using solvy and textile art techniques to costume her.

I do have a confession to make though, I have gone to the dark side and have started working with polymer clay. I have a yearning to work in small scale and found the paperclay too clumsy for the finer detail. I recently completed a workshop with Bobbi Lambert and loved the result:

Currently refining the techniques learnt in the workshop and developing my own style: This is the direction I am heading in:

Love this style, so am going to continue to refine the techniques for this size. Think they will be fairies????
Looking forward to the Wanda the Witch workshop

with the Whimsie Mamma Christy Meyers over at Artful Gathering.

Okay, so that's where I am at, Melbourne here I come, but need yo get off here and pack

Laters...............................Leanne

Time Marches On......................

so quickly. Can't believe a month has passed since I last posted. Have been busy with work and have continued to experiment. Tried Darwi clay recently and love it ~ has become my new favourite and have also given glass eyes a go, jury still out on that one.

Finally decided it was time to stop experimenting and make a doll. The online group Cloth Doll Artistry currently has an elements challenge, so this was the inspiration I needed to get me going. I put all my recently learnt techniques in place ~ paperclay sculpted head painted with acrylics and watercolours, paperclay hands and boots. Settled on
"fire" as my inspiration element. Any way here she is so far:

 

None too elegantly jointed at the moment, a couple of long doll needles so I could get a bit of a feel for her. Have been busily creating a piece of  fabric using the solvy technique for her bodice. Planning a web type overlay for the skirt. Wish me luck, it looks really good in my head!!

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

Satisfaction.......................

I spent much of today trawling the net for more sculpting tutorials and videos. I found quite a few new ones, but there were 3 in particular that had little tips and tricks that I thought might assist me with getting the doll features just right. Armed with the videos, I headed to the studio this afternoon and started sculpting, and to my absolute amazement it all came together. I have 3 heads nearly sculpted. Two are still in need of eyes, but I have found it is better to add the eyes to a dry head. So, here come the girls:

Next I am going to experiment with glass eyes ~ thanks to the internet they are on order!! I recently learnt to paint facial features with watercolours, and I really prefer that to using acrylics, for a more realistic look, but think I need to give glass eyes a go, before I decide one way or another. Maybe I'll decide to use both????
Back to the studio.......................

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