My pieces are inspired by very old dolls-really old, excavated old. Some of the dolls I love best may not have been playthings at all but offerings and altar figures. Most intriguing are the dolls that were intended as toys and were so played with, and so loved and worn that there is little left of them that resembles the original pieces.
I generally approach doll making with readily available materials which can include anything from magazine cut-outs and upholstery scraps to armadillo "scales", real cats claws & whiskers and bunny pellets. I incorporate beading and embroidery into the design, and put wind-up music boxes inside them too.
I actually find that accessorising is the most entertaining part of the process. Each doll has possessions. Toys, a handbag full of tiny objects, masks, jewelry, clothes... As a child I loved the idea of Barbie because of all the fabulous stuff she had, but I did not relate to Barbie's persona. I wound up playing with trolls. They had the best outfits a short plastic figure styled by a ten-year-old could possibly have. I still love to dress dolls. Though the sad irony is that I can't dress myself up to save my life.
