Busy as a Bee

It's that time of year again when things start up. Schools starts up. Committees start up. My son's class will be taking a class trip to Boston and it's time to start fund-raising for it. My niece did an awesome job last year planning a hunter's breakfast. If you know of a great fundraiser that doesn't require us to give things to kids to sell door-to-door, then please leave the idea in the comments section. :-)

House Project In Progress

Usually I post my works in progress that are art related, but today I will post our house project in progress. I took the above picture in Spril of 2009 and then dreamed of siding our house in a nice New England barn red in this post about old red houses.

Well, the dream has begun to be a reality, which is great! Here are a few in process pictures:

One and a half sides done! More to go!

Works in Progress 9-19-09

From least to most finished...


Doll using newest Izannah inspired pattern.
Inspired by this original Izannah Walker doll.

Who knows who these girls will be?

About 30 years ago

My brother and I on the old couch at Granddad's camp.

Fair Children Helen Pringle Doll

Today I went to an exercise class (yay, me!) and as a reward on the way home I gave myself a little time in an antique mall nearby. I've been looking for a round kitchen table and chairs to put in our basement playroom - for doing crafts and playing cards. As I was going through I saw the doll booth. Truthfully, I don't usually stop there, because it's mostly vintage manufactured dolls or collectible character dolls. Which are fine, but not my thing. Today, though, I saw a cloth doll sitting there and thought, "She's interesting. I wonder who made her?" So I picked up the doll and this is what I saw:

I did a double-take. Is this really a Helen Pringle doll? Then I thought, "Hmmmm, I wonder what they're asking?" When I saw the price tag I knew I had to buy this doll.

Because Helen retired from dollmaking,
there is a kind of mystique about Helen Pringle's dolls.
Many of her contemporaries are still making wonderful dolls,
and we should be collecting those, too!

This doll is painted a bit more
primitively than some of Helen's dolls.
Her name is Mary Mason Dixon.
Her feet go both "North and South."


Black Stockinette stockings are on the feet.

The pattern is simple, but very warm in feel.

She wears pantaloons,
a rusty-red understkirt and a gingham dress.
Sewn inside her dress is a poem typed onto muslin:



The poem reads:

Mary Mason-Dixon
(She has North and South Feet)

I am Mary Mason-Dixon
I have North and South feet
and such a solemn countenance
that isn't cute or sweet.

I've my Mama's Yankee stuffing
and my Papa's Rebel rags
Grandma's eagle Eastern eye
Grandpa's graceful Western legs.

Do you need a Guardian Angel?
Or a Conscious or a Friend?
Whatever job you give me
on me you can depend.

From Maine by way of Texas
I bring All-American style;
and whenever noone's looking
I smile.

copyright 1988 - Helen Pringle

Well, I have those same North-South feet. I get the Yankee stuffing from my dad and the Rebel rags from my mom. ;-) In fact, my business name came from an email address I picked out a long time ago, which was a way of melding my southern and northern roots. Hence, Northdixie Designs. What a nice surprise to my day. Thanks for sharing with me in the fun!

Take doll, add paperclay...
that seems to be what my days
are defined by right now. ;-)

The point is to make a pattern shape
for an Izannah inspired doll
that saves on paperclay.
This is pretty good. We'll see.

Below is the "Startle Doll"

Possibility

I dwell in Possibility--
A fairer House than Prose--
More numerous of Windows--
Superior--for Doors--

Of Chambers as the Cedars--
Impregnable of Eye--
And for an Everlasting Roof
The Gambrels of the Sky--

Of Visitors--the fairest--
For Occupation--This--
The spreading wide my narrow Hands
To gather Paradise--

Emily Dickinson

A Quartet of Dolls

Here are dolls in various stages of painting and completion on my painting table. The 2nd to the right is the Izannah inspired doll I've been working on. You know when they get named "The Startle Doll" that they need to have their eyes repainted. So her eyes have been painted over and we will begin again with the eyes.

This is a head shape that didn't work for Izannah
but make me think a bit of a Columbian Doll.

And I don't know where this little one
is going but I like her watchful expression.

I Love Old Graphics

My mom brought over a bag of old sewing notions and in the pack was this card of old snap fasteners from 1920. I love the graphics and thought I'd share.

Progress!

After making a lot of bodies and quite a few head shapes I am getting closer to what I want in an Izannah pattern. Pattern-making is not for the faint of heart! Some of the dolls which weren't appropriate for an Izannah base I liked quite a bit for other dolls, so you'll be seeing something different. :-) In the doll on the left and below is a doll I made using the free template I've shared before. I'll be finishing her up and putting a layer of paperclay on the doll that is 2nd from the right. Next is sanding then base coat then on to painting features!

Worth Repeating

"Start by doing what's necessary;

then do what's possible;

and suddenly

you are doing the impossible."

~ St. Francis of Assisi

Back in the oven!

She started here. From a frontal point of view it wasn't bad, but I really wanted to get the gorgeous profile of this original Izannah below that is the inspiration.


So in order to do that I had to sacrifice the face that was quite workable, really. But it wasn't what I was going for, so I added a layer of clay in the front, and a bit on the crown of the head.

Then I smooshed it around
until I got this profile, which is closer.
"Smooshed" is a very technical artsy term .

So she's back in the oven.
After this I will add more details
and then put her in the oven one more time.

Labor Day Weekend Fun

What happens when a
sea plane lands at the lake?



A crowd gathers to watch.



What happens when it's your uncle's plane
and you're a boy ready for adventure?

You swim to it of course!

And then we had the most
awesome smoked chicken
ever for a meal!

Clay Over Cloth Doll Progress

Start with a cloth body and
put a layer of clay
all over the head and shoulders...

Sculpting is a personal thing. I'm not sure if sculpting can be taught, but it can be learned. Most artistic techniques are learned by doing. Sure, sometimes there's a formula involved. But it only works when the "forumula" becomes a tool you use to express what you want. In developing the Izannah pattern, I am trying to figure out how to teach sculpting a head into a pattern. So I've been making lots of heads and bodies, and adding clay to some, trying to figure out how I do the clay over cloth. So I've been trying to take pictures at different points during the sculpting process, like when I add a big ol' lump to the back of the head. Now I see why people sell press molds or clay faces to add onto cloth dolls.



Now at this point there are things that need to be sanded down, and places clay needs to be added. In order to see these things, pictures are very helpful. Take one from the chin looking over the face....

And from the forehead looking down the face....
I see that the whole face is a bit off to one side.

And the profile of each side...

I got too detailed too soon and didn't check this enough, I think. If I am using this picture as an inspiration the nose/cheek area needs to be built up quite a bit. Actually the whole face could use another 1/4" to 1/2" of clay. So far I am into one small package of paperclay. Time to open another. :-)

original antique
Izannah Walker doll

My doll in progress...