Saturday, July 24, 2010

The Shaman






Back in April I was fortunate enough to take another doll making workshop with Wendy Froud in which we focused on creating creatures; The Shaman is the result of that workshop. When I imaged him, I knew that he would have somewhat of a horse- shaped head, but as I began to sculpt him, more and more creatures began to show up in his over- all design. Showing him to different people, they each saw a different animal (a dog, snail, praying mantis, etc), a reaction that I was very happy to get.


I imagined him to be completely new race of fantastical creature, one that was wise, peaceful, and elusive. The Shaman is meant to be very old and wise. Only his closest friends and faithful followers know his real name. He has a gift of seeing what people need in their lives to be happy, and gives it to them. This gift is not to be taken lightly, because only you can take the steps necessary to bring happiness into your life. Though this figure stands only approximately 16" tall, I envisioned a creature about six to seven feet in height. His complete character story is still in the works.

He is sculpted out of FIMO and painted with acrylic paint. His legs are covered in faux fur and are bendable at the knees. His tail is completely flexible and is wrapped in spandex that has been painted with acrylic paint. He wears a loincloth made of leather and his jewelry is comprised of a myriad of beads. His wings are made of Textiva (aka Angelina Film, fantasy film.) His staff is also made of FIMO and painted with acrylic paint, as well as being adorned with various beads and topped with a semiprecious stone. More pictures can be seen on my website: www.Antoniastreehouse.com




I am extremely happy with how he turned out and am looking forward to elaborating on him and his race.



Friday, July 16, 2010

My First Doll Show

I recently participated in the Wiltwyck Quilt Guild's annual show held at SUNY Ulster in Stone Ridge, NY. The show featured an art doll exhibit in which four of my dolls were featured- Antonia, Gilbert, Hogarth, and Persephone. This was the first time my art was included in a show, and I was so happy with how well everything turned out. I met a lot of really nice people and got lots of great feedback.