Well, I decided to change the name of my business, since it hasn't really established itself yet. I'm going to call it Simon Purple instead of Purple Dolls. I might like to make other things, and I think it sounds nicer. I created a logo idea and a friend made it professional looking. I have little labels with it. I did all this before my hiatus.
My hiatus. I suffer from a few mental illnesses. It makes it very difficult to keep a "real" job, but it also makes it difficult for me to follow through with my doll work. I had to take a few months away from it. I did some cross-stitch. I'm taking a Spanish class. I'm just chilling and recharging. I start some cognitive-behavioral therapy this week. I'm really hopeful that it will help me.
My first doll, however, is very close to completion. I've finished sculpting the head and I have it all ready to make a mold. I'll only make one doll from the mold. I've designed the cloth body, too. I'm using an artist age progression chart for children and tried to make the doll in the correct proportions for a six-year-old. My plan is to make dolls in lots of different ages, all in the same scale.
I'd like to make furniture for the dolls, too. I'm going to start a woodworking program in the Fall. Don't know how soon or even if I'd be able to make this furniture. It's just one of those things I really like to dream about, like bobbin lace. Actually, I would like to learn to make bobbins, too! I like the square ones because they don't roll around on the pillow. I have a long piece of lace made that I would like to put on a very special doll sometime, and hopefully make more lace for dolls. Maybe one piece a year. Bobbin lace takes me, at least, a very long time.
Anyway, I moved this weekend from a first floor apartment to a third floor apartment. I have a lot of pain now! I have the muscular pain, but I also have a pain called claudication which comes from poor circulation. I'm hoping the claudication resolves soon because it makes it very difficult to move around my apartment. I'm on Spring Break at school, so I have a whole week to unpack and get settled.
We're in a much larger apartment--300 extra feet!--in a pleasant neighborhood, up on a hill, facing the city. I have a huge window in my workroom (the master room, of course--why sleep in such a beautiful room when you can enjoy it all day?) and I can see downtown in the distance. It will probably be very hot in the summer!
Well, that's enough. I'll change the name of the blog soon to reflect my new dba.
Hi there, Simon Purple! Thank you so much for following my blog. I'm relatively new to blogging and every new follower is an excitement. I'm intrigued by the plans you have for dolls of different ages. I've found it really difficult to find a good chart with correct proportions for children. Could you possibly recommend one?
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm pretty new to blogging, too, and I'm looking for people to follow. Did I find you first on Etsy? Or did you find me, lol?
ReplyDeleteI have a book from the fifties or sixties by Viola French called something like Drawing Children. It has the same chart that pretty much everyone uses. It doesn't have a copyright mark on it, so it's probably OK if I share it. I just started unpacking at my new place, though, so it will be a couple days before I can get to it.
I like the method you are using with your dolls. I was going to try something similar to what you are doing, but it freaks me out to directly sculpt with air drying clay. I sculpt in oil clay, make a plaster mold, and then press the air dry clay in and leave it until it dries. I've always used oil clay or uncured polymer clay and I'm hooked on the never-ending-sculptability of it.
I have three followers now!
I found you, but I can't remember how. I think you made a comment on Susie McMahon's blog. I usually check comments on dollmaking blogs to find other dollmakers. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to find them, otherwise.
DeleteSculpting with the air dry clay was unnerving at first. It's like trying to make a shape with marshmallows and I really didn't have any confidence in how strong it was. But, my air dry dolls seem to be holding up better than the polymer ones, so now I'm a convert.
Thank you for the information about the chart. Maybe I can find it on-line? Don't you worry about unpacking to get to it, I'm in no rush. You might want to consider putting up some of the images on this blog, though. It would be a useful resource for all kinds of artists, as well as dollmakers.
Congratulations on gaining followers!
I will put up a PDF of the chart this week. I think it would be helpful to a lot of people.
DeleteI would like to be able to direct sculpt. Maybe after a little while I'll try it again. Well, I'll see how my current method works out for me.
I need to find some more dollmakers to follow. I like your method. It just won't be done today! I'm in a creative mood and can hardly be bothered by the internet anymore!
I've heard very good reports about cognitive behaviour therapy - hope it helps you! I've been in some pretty dark places myself in my life and I actually found that doll-making was the one constant thing that really helped me - making some of the sculptural pieces was very cathartic. Even making simple dolls was a great help, though sometimes I really had to force myself to get started - once I did it was great to lose myself in it.
ReplyDeleteThe little I've seen of your work tells me there is quite some talent there - I'd really love to see you take it somewhere! Please post pictures of your new doll when you get it done.....or even some tantalising work in progress shots. Please!
Thank you, Susie. I have a lot of faith in my dolls. I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't get some release from my overwhelming doll ideas. I used to worry about them being fancy enough, like a BJD, and that led me away from my true medium and into a deep depression. I still catch myself wanting to do something more involved, but the art dolls I see and like most are very simple dolls. People will have to like or dislike my (theoretical) dolls based on their own merit.
DeleteI should say I've always worked in cloth. I learned in Junior High and my third profect (after the skirt and pillow) was a cow doll with a very fluffy country-style dress. I can do just about anything in cloth. Resin is NOT for me!
Delete