The Other City

Transcendental Maggot

I am returning to my original inspirations with a series of art dolls.  One of the ideas of the Gossamer Girls was that I would not need to constantly be making more of them, unless I had an order.  So I am freed up to work on promotion and art.  This Maggot is the first of the art doll pieces I have been truely pleased with. 

The phrase "Transcendental Maggot" is a reference to one of my favourite books of all time, Geek Love, by Katherine Dunn.  This book probably did more to make me who I am today than any other.  Save, perhaps Lord of the Rings.  I am glad to be returning to art that reminds me, however distantly, of this book.

I am really trying hard to move beyond cute dolls.  I feel I have begun with this piece, but I am nowhere near there yet.  I want to make you feel the way Saturn Devouring his Children by Goya makes you feel.  I want that horror, that sinking in the pit of your stomach.

Emmaline

This is Emmaline.  I had an idea for this colour scheme and she immediately began yelling to be made. I am so pleased with how she came out.  This is exactly what I wanted for the Gossamer Girls.  Her character is another automaton.  I do love my living dolls.  She likes soft, pretty things and being cared for.

Emmaline is probably the last Gossamer Girl I'm going to make for myself.  I have a good idea of how they are made, so I don't need to do any more prototypes.  Of course, I would love to make more for other people.

I am probably going to buy her clothing from some of the lovely American Girl clothing makers I've been finding on Etsy.  I have learned I don't enjoy making clothing as much as I do making dolls.  And of course, one of the intended advantages of the Gossamer Girls is to free me up a bit to focus on art dolls.  As long as I don't have an order.

I went to an art show put on by The Mad Tatters last weekend.  I didn't think I was going to get to go, but I did.  I'm so glad I was able to.  I've been having a hard time lately, but Brandan and Ellie are always so kind and encouraging.  I'm glad I know them.  Brandan is encouraging me to talk to The Plastic Chapel about having a show there. They have shown there a couple of times now.  So, I'm working on some new art doll pieces, trying to push beyond cute.  Cute is fine for the Gossamer Girls, but it's not what I want for my art. I am working on a large, hopefully pretty horrible piece now. Hopefully it will go well!

Theda Goes to Work

 

Theda is wearing a peacock blue spaghetti strap dress, with black detailing.  It is perfect for your Gossamer Girl doll to wear to any more formal occasion like familial gatherings or evening just tea parties in the park.  It will also fit your American Girl dolls.  The dress is made of a combination of merino/acrylic and cotton yarn, and can be washed.

I had a hard time getting the colour to show up properly in these photographs.  It really is a lovely peacock blue.  I think I got it to look okay, after I messed with it in photoshop for a while. 

I need to get better at making clothing.  I want to make coats and hoods especially.  My next project will be a pair of overalls, which I do already know how to do.  I have lots of other art doll or soft sculpture ideas too, but right now I feel like I need to restock my shop after that banner day I had yesterday.

This dress is for sale on Etsy!

Theda, my dead little love

Theda has been inhabiting my head for a long time now.  This strange, lovely girl has rejected two BJD bodies before I decided to just make this body for her.  I don't know too much about her.  She was killed when she was thirteen, sometime during the Sixties.  Then, she came back.  Ressurected as a revenant.

She doesn't talk much. In fact, she may not be able to.  But she definitely has her own gothic style.  I was excited to be able to make her in the Gossamer Girl pattern, because she can wear American Girl clothing now. In fact, she is currently wearing boots from Megori Girls Boutique!  There are other things I hope to be able to get her in the future, but she will also work as a model.

Theda will not be for sale, as she rather means a lot to me.  She, and the other Gossamer Girls, represent pretty much exactly what I want to achieve with my play dolls.  However, you can order a Gossamer Girl of your very own at my Etsy store!

Rory

Rory is a strange little creature.  His short limbs and bobbly head give him a babyish look.  And his weird, mewling cries vary between adorable and unsettling.  He is the perfect companion for any little girl lost in The Other City.

Rory is 6 inches long and is made entirely of acrylic yarn, for durability and easy washing.  He features safety eyes, which will not come out.

I felt like making something small and cute and soft after I finished Theda.  And also something easy.  Rory has already been a comfort to me.  I hope he can be a comfort to you, too.

Rory is for sale on Etsy!

Mercy's first modelling job

Mercy is wearing a OOAK shawl, made for any Gossamer Girl.  It can also fit American Girl dolls.  The shawl is made of laceweight Malabrigo yarn in pearl, and has a lovely depth to it that is difficult to photograph.  It measures 13 inches by 8.5 inches.

It can be worn either as a kerchief or as a shawl and either way will keep your Gossamer Girl warm on her adventures.

This shawl is for sale on Etsy!

Please keep watching for more Gossamer Girl clothing and accessories in the future!

Rune

Rune steps softly on bare feet, ducking her antlers beneath hanging cobwebs. In the freedom of solitude, she finds what she needs here.  Sometimes, solitude is nothing but a blessing. In the emptiness left by humanity, strange creatures return to this city. And I can dream of their scarred faces or twisting horns.

This is Rune, my wild girl.  I splurged on Malabrigo yarn for her, and it was so worth it.  I do miss working with that stuff regularly.  But I worry that if I do, my dolls will eventually succumb to moths.  Acrylic does have its advantages.

Rune is to serve as a model and spokesdoll for the Gossamer Girl series.  I shall make one more model and then focus on clothing and other items for them.  I did not originally intend to make her the eyepatch, but once I thought of it, I could not resist.  Horned does do happen in nature from time to time, so she is plausible.  Perhaps she likes other girl dolls as well.  I have no idea how she came to lose her eye.  Does anyone have any ideas?

Gossamer Girls now Available on Etsy!

The Gossamer Girls are now available on Etsy!

Here is the listing!  Now it is a lot easier to take them home.  I am in the process of overhauling my Etsy page to make it more hospitable to this line. 

Finding Mercy

Here is the first of the model dolls for the series I am working now.  I plan on photographing her in still-life type setups and she can model all of the little clothings and accessories I will make for this series.  Her name is Mercy, because that is what she is seeking, wandering lost through the world. 

She is 18 inches tall, and as you can see, she can wear American Girl sized clothing and shoes.  She is fairly posable, but I will have to use thread to help with photographs.

Does anyone have any ideas for what I should name this series?  Just calling them American Girl sized dolls is not working for me.  And I will be making up the brochure for them soon, so it will be helpful to have a name.  I have no idea at the moment.

I think her face is the best I've ever done.  Since she is to be a model, she is not for sale on Etsy, but I am not immune to offers I can't refuse.  Next up, I'll be doing a deer girl for the next model.  Because I like deer girls.  And I'll get to use some of my delicious Malabrigo yarn for her skin.

Automaton VI

She carries her peace with her. She carries it trapped tight in her heart. Slow breathes and soft features. Dreaming, she walks through dim forests and places candles before forgotten statues. But always she returns to the calm darkness of her sleep.

This is an 18 inch doll crocheted doll prototype. She can wear American Girl clothing, but the shoes will not fit her. Her hair is a combination of darker and lighter brown and is rooted for easy styling. Her face is embroidered. She is very durable and can withstand quite a few adventures. She will come nude, ready to be dressed and styled however you would like.

Another sleeping doll.  I do enjoy sleeping dolls.  I figure I am going to have to work closely with these prototypes.  Even though they are for sale, my record shows that they will take a long time to actually sell.  So, in the meantime they will serve as models for clothing and accessories I make for them.  Once I stop desperately focusing on getting their feet right.  I do think I will be able to make them wear American Girl shoes.

In the near future, I think I will do a giveaway of some of my older pieces.  They are not up to my current standards.  They do not have rooted hair or embroidered faces.  But I figure someone may still enjoy them.  So stay tuned for that!

This doll is also for sale!

Lost in the Snow

Stumbling, head down on a cold winter day.  Darkness is pressing upon you, but you peer out of your hood for a breath, a moment.  And there she is, silent as they all are, but staring at you with hope in her eyes.   Black skin, coated in snow and warm, sad eyes.  How did she come here, on this cold evening?

This is the 5th automaton and one of the prototypes I've been working on.  She can wear American Girl clothes, but not the shoes.  She is 18 inches tall and features rooted blue hair for easy styling and an embroidered face. As you see, she is durable enough to withstand the snow without any ill effects, unlike her maker.

I got so frustrated trying to get her face right, with the embroidery on the black, that I nearly gave up.  But the blue hair is lovely. I've noticed that once a doll has hair, it is immediately more lovable.  The pattern for the dolls to wear American Girl clothing is not perfect yet, so I don't feel comfortable setting up a listing for them.  But it is coming along and getting closer with every try.

Next prototype I do will be silver with red hair, in honour of the book The Silver Metal Lover, by Tanith Lee. Honestly, it is one of the best books I'd read in a long time.  It took me ages to find a copy but when I did I plowed through it in less than 24 hours.  I highly recommend it.

Does anyone want to see anything in particular from this series of automatons?

 

Update:  The 5th Automaton is for sale on Etsy!

Winter Snow

Another created thing totters unsteadily on soft feet through a world muffled in dust.  Born for snow and winter, the automaton forgets summer even as breathes in heat.  She travels deep into basements and tunnels searching for cool air.  Soon, the white hair her maker gave her fades into the twilight of the everlasting dust.  But peering through gratings, a flicker of memory makes her wash her hair and stare up into the night sky suddenly so full of falling stars.

This is Neve, the doll I previously alluded to.  She is 18 inches tall and is rather lovely, in my opinion.  She was featured in the second Cirque Voltaire show, althoug Bird definitely stole the show in that venue.  Neve is more suited to quite, domestic settings.  She is after all, only a doll and was designed to be loved in someone's home.  Fortunately for the both of us then, she sold last month.  These pictures were provided by her owner.

I continue to try to work out the pattern for my automaton series.  Although I am considering taking a break for an art piece I have in mind.  I have been reading about encephalitis lethargica again recently and it is making me want to do even more sleeping dolls.  I don't know what it is about sleepers that is so appealing but their spell is far from broken.  If anyone has any opinions about the automaton series, I would love to hear them.

Automaton IV

She knows she is a made thing, not a creature born. She knows she does not breath or love or laugh. But also, she knows she is beautiful. And that is compensation enough for a heart that ticks or the long stillness of workshop days.

This is a crocheted doll intended for adults, but suitable for older children as well. She is in my automaton series of living dolls so she has pedestal feet rather than more human ones. She is 22 inches tall. Her hair is rooted and will not come out; it is half black and half navy blue, with lighter sparkly highlights. Her face and the gem in her chest are embroidered. The gem glows in the dark. She also features a wire armature that allows her elbows and knees to hold simple poses. She will be a good friend to you.

This is one of the newish pieces I completed during my time of silence.  There is a third automaton that came before her who sold before I could photograph her.  However, the person I sold her to has said she will send me pictures.  And the name of that piece.  I have begun to think of her as Hiver, though, which is French for winter.  I hope to be able to show her to you soon.

Otherwise, I have been working on a series of dolls which people can order on commission and pick the colours for, like those pretty Waldorf style dolls.  They will be the same size as American Girl dolls and so will be able to wear their clothes.  Also, I am thinking about more artistic pieces to try to pursue something in a gallery.  If I can get the nerve.  I am trying to shake off this silence in order to do so. 

I feel like I'm in artist drag, rather than being the real thing.  At least drag is fabulous.