There is magic in the act of reclaiming an object and turning it into art. Dolls are as ancient as humans. They can be just toys for children. They can also be important icons in artwork and spiritual shrines. We will deconstruct and reclaim an ordinary or perhaps even tacky commercial doll and turn it into a meaningful work of art. Your search will begin at home: in thrift stores, Goodwills, yard sales, or your own attic for a lost and bedraggled doll in need of a magical makeover. By reclaiming and recycling an already constructed doll, you can skip right to the fun part. No sewing, no stuffing, no patterns, just decorating, dressing and embellishing. Through layering paint and ink, we will create a unique “antique” texture as a base for a hand painted artistic face. We will “dress” our dolls through wrapping string, fabric, tape, and wire to create a richly textured artwork. I believe in embracing the grunge and cherishing the haphazard. This is both a project and technique based class which you will leave with a unique piece of art as well as skills useful not just to art dolls but to assemblage work in general.
Supply List:
- A found doll preferably cloth bodied with a porcelain head and hands. (Don’t get caught up in original looks. It will all be transformed: the uglier the doll the better. Sources: thrift stores, yard sales, discount stores, attics)
- Fabric glue, sm container (I prefer Fabri-tac Permanent Fabric Adhesive)
- A small bag of fabric scraps. Think different textures, i.e. cheesecloth, tulle, lace, satin…
- Buttons, charms, old jewelry, misc found objects for embellishing your doll
- Acrylic paints: I use the cheap $1- bottle stuff from Michaels or Joanns a black, a brown, a tan, a white, a cream, and then several other colors of your choice
- Paint brushes: a medium, a small, and a couple of good quality detail brushes
- A palette for paints and a water container
- A needle and embroidery floss in both a dark and light color
Optional:
- Heat gun
- Found objects for your doll to sit on or live in
- Yarn or string
Teacher will provide:
- Gesso
- Walnut drawing ink
- Liquid Nails Adhesive
- Wire
P.S. No stressing allowed! It is about the creative process, not the specific supplies.
