These dolls were made for a wholesale order. I am still putting the final touches on them, but I just had to share them with you. What impresses me the most is how all three were made from the same pattern, but they all look so different that you'd never guess.
Update!
Well, the lady who bought these dolls changed her mind and decided that she no longer wants these dolls. So as soon as I receive them back, I will put them up for auction on eBay. In the meantime, please check out my latest doll!
Well, I have changed my name on eBay from thecoppermouse to coppermouse_dolls. I wanted my user id to reflect what it is I do for a living.
Here is a sneak peek of Devil Girl an eBay auction. My intention is to have her ready for Tuesday. She is entirely hand-painted and will be dressed for a Halloween Party. Don't miss out on this one.
Jane Darin is a doll artist whose work I admire. In particular, her soft sculpture dolls are fantastic. Bright colors and dynamic poses are what I really like about her dolls. You can see some of her dolls here.
Check out a short video of Jane Darin at work in her studio from the Carol Duvall show.
Above is Izannah Walker's patent for her dolls. Below is a quote from the website "History of Cloth Dolls."history: "IZANNAH WALKER DOLLS Izannah Walker was born in Bristol, Rhode Island, in 1817. At the age of 7 she lost her parents. Izannah and her sisters went to live with her mother relatives in Somerset Massachusetts. We do not know much about her early life but in 1865 the Census of the State of Rhode Island she was listed as a doll maker residing in Central Falls. In 1873 Izannah obtained a U.S. patent for making rag dolls. The patent stated in the dies I place several thicknesses of cotton or other cheap cloth treated with glue or paste so that they will adhere together and hold the shape impressed upon them by the dies. When these cloth forms are dry a layer of cotton batting or other soft filling is carefully laid over them covering the whole or the head and neck portion only and then in turn covere with an external layer of stockinet or similar webbing. The latter is then fastened to the features of the cloth forms by stitches or paste and they are then placed again in the press. After they are taken from the press the forms are filled with hair cotton or other stuffiness and a piece of wood having been centrally and longitudinally laid between the two for stiffening they are tightly pressed together and secured by sewing pasting or gluing their edges to each other. The finish is then done by painting the face and other parts neatly with oil paint. Izannah Walker claimed in her patent "
Below is Holly. She will be up for auction on ebay Sunday August 7th. She is about 24inches tall. Her face is handsculpted and hand painted. Holly is a romantic dreamer. Her eyes are closed as she remembers a soft kiss from her true love.
To the right are my studies of a doll by Izannah Walker. I think one of the most rewarding aspects of dollmaking is to challenge yourself every once in a while. While I could never afford a real Izannah Walker, I can certainly try to make one for myself. Doing some quick drawings with a pen, I observed the proportions of the face. The face is the most important feature. It will either endure you with it's charm or repel you with it's strange features. Sometimes a doll that many consider to be quite ugly, will be a knockout to doll collectors.
Izannah Walker dolls possess the anatomical features of child. Half of the head are the features and the other half is the forehead. The doll has very large eyes, a thick nose, and a small mouth.
Study this chart to the left made by Andrew Loomis.
So I have made my pattern and sewn it all together and stuffed it. Tomorrow I will apply glue and Paperclay. I will post some pictures too.
Izannah Walker, in my opinion, is one of the most prolific dollmakers I have ever come across. Her dolls capture the true quality of a child. It is irresitable. Her dolls spark the basic human need to nurture and protect our young, a survival instinct. So it is no wonder that people pay thousands of dollars to own one of Walker's dolls. I wish someone would write a biography about Walker. As you can see, I am terrible at writing. I would trade my eye-teeth to be able to write well. Aside from small articles in books and magazines on dolls, there is precious little about Izannah Walker. So anyone out there who is adept at writing, please write a book on Izannah Walker.
These dolls were made for a wholesale order. I am still putting the final touches on them, but I just had to share them with you. What impresses me the most is how all three were made from the same pattern, but they all look so different that you'd never guess.
