Colorless World

Is the title of my new sculpture.She is taking longer than I thought. She has no hair or soft elements. I even sculpted her eyelashes and a small braid in back. She wears a full black clay suit with gothic incised patterns, embedded vintage ink stained rhinestones and an aged ivory Lorraine cross emblem in front.
I really love her expression and this style. The framing effect of the costume clay versus the painted skin colored clay. Id really like a buffed gloss finish to the black and then with some corrosion and aging effects on the surface.



I think she still needs gloss on lips and around eyes. I dont know if I should paint her eyebrows black. Maybe soft brows make her eyes pop...What do you think? :) I feel really good about my work this year. Really stoked about some really special ideas I have.

Hard Candy

1st day of my bust. no inkling whats coming except that I wanted a lollipop in her mouth.






2nd day of working on my bust. Shes really turning out to be a cutie! Today it popped into my mind to make her theme "artifical sweetner" After hearing the No Doubt song of the same title. This is because I feel split in two. I often have to sweeten my works to make it saleable. Much more with my fairy work than now but, being a doll artist part of it is making something appealing, pretty and sweet for others,but I also have a very dark surreal side.Thats not always easy to stick with and feel loved doing. its more like sticking your neck out! I take a lot of joy in my dark surrealistic play but, its tempered a sort of balance I suppose of beauty and danger.




3rd day: I worked on making her appear a touch older. More like a preteen. I juggled a few sweetner related names in my mind. Stevia, Saccharine,Faux Sugar, Splenda. Finally I decided "Hard Candy" was a nice compromise. It goes with her biting the jolly rancher so to speak..,but also the metaphor nuances Im fussy about.


Today was hoping to have her in that oven and painted ,but I spent most of the day smoothing and pecking around the eyes to get just the right amount of expression. Added ears and more work to her shoulders and back. A bit of pastel on her lips and cheek livens her up.

Boycott Dollfair!

Sticky wickets children! Another rant for the new year! Im posting to warn BJD artists and doll collectors to avoid Catrina Sanders and her company like plague.
Dont buy Briar from her as I will not see any of the money.And you will be gambling on to getting your doll.
I have a new caster and we are discussing casting elf ear Neo Briar. Hopefully I can offer that to you later this year.

In Aug 2009 I sent a master Briar (elf ear version) to Catrina Sanders. It was never molded nor was it returned to me. I was told that the company was relocating , then that there was difficultly matching new resin. Things never went great with the company.
Every couple of months Id write did anything sell? Oh yes some things sold... I was never notified for some reason when anything sold. Sometimes Id ask for a check to be cut and more weeks would go by before Id query again and would get some excuse or lameass remark like .. you wanted it now? UUUhhhh YES! Along with excuses like I broke my wrist, secretary is out sick or Ill cut a check after the dolls come back from the face up artist.

You might remember my other post about Briar at IDEX and how I had lined up talented and well known BJD costumer Vallerie Zeitler to dress Briar but, I was cut out of the loop and she was instead dressed in hideous last minute make do gunny sack looking things.

I was never sent a doll to check before final casting. I sent Briar unfinished I had become sick while making her and was told to just send her as is. Later I saw that the hands and headcap were left terrible and it was never addressed by Catrina. It was carried by me that my doll was imperfect.

You can read online the trouble Bimong and Rachelle known as Lilycat had with her.



from what I hear Batchix has also had difficulties. If you also had some problems feel free to post here your links and information.