Works in Progress, Summer 2015

Here is a creation I've been working at a while.  I put my chubby fingers in there to give a sense of scale.  I do like making these small dolls, but they present challenges because of the scale.  It is very easy to sand too much and lose an expression.  For this reason I plan to sculpt a larger doll, which I haven't done in quite a while.  

In order to be productive in this way, I've been trying to clean out yet again.  Some part of my creative process is the gathering of materials, and then the editing of materials.  It is very hard for me to not to be an artistic hoarder of possibilities.

While cleaning through my stuff, I found (again) the non-working 90's video cameras that have a tape stuck in them. I don't want to get rid of the cameras until I get the tapes out.  I can't get the tapes out. So I keep putting the video cameras back on the shelf. Multiply that one scenario a few times and you get the kind of STUFF that can accumulate. I am giving myself until the end of the month to get the tapes out of the cameras...and then what?  


I found a twist tie on my desk.  Why do I have that?



5 comments:

Martha said...

You sound like me. I have to clean up after each doll or each few dolls that get finished along the same time. I can't work in a mess. It's like re grouping to begin again. You might need that twist tie. I try not to throw away to much, because as soon as it's gone, I need it. We have to get ready to work and for each person the process is different. It is sort of like turning off the TV, or putting on ear plugs so you can concentrate. You remember that article about sewing, getting all the cleaning done, the food cooked and getting yourself all fresh and comfortable so that you will enjoy and make the most of your sewing time. Getting ready to make dolls is no different.

Dixie Redmond said...

Yes, that article is kind of true, Martha. I have felt like I am trying to get caught up for sooooo long!

Jan Conwell said...

When my mother passed back in '92, I had to go through all the stuff she'd stored in the attic from her "miniaturist" days. Crates and boxes of boxes crammed full of the oddest tiny junk. I'm talking pill bottle caps. But back when she was making doll houses and miniatures, she could turn that junk into the most fascinating and delightful furnishings and such. I think I come by it genetically, because I saved a plastic covering that came on a doll, protecting it's face. This last week, I discovered it fit a doll I'm making as a hat--like it was made for her. :)

Dixie Redmond said...

Jan, it's such a temptation to collect stuff that "might" be transformed. As my doll making has evolved over time, I relied less on whimsy of the found object, and more on planning what I will make from the ground up out of fabric. I still enjoy doing assemblage creations, though.

Lana Manis said...

"Artistic hoarder of possibilities".... hmmm..... maybe that should be my tag line, lol! I have a room full of possibilities and if I die sooner than later, my family would be overwhelmed! I do think if I thinned out my stash (something I have talked about for years), I may be able to focus on more of what I really want to do.

Your little doll is lovely, as are all of your dolls. It makes me want to come up with a few for this fall. :)


"Do not let what you cannot do
keep you from doing what you can do."

John Wooden