The combination of his elements, from the metallic fabrics, beading, and mask delighted me and the details on his bag became the finishing touch to the Medicine Man. Not long after making him available on Etsy, he flew into the gentle hands of a wonderful and energetic massage therapist, Melissa. I think she detected the powerful juju in that Medicine Bag! I hope you can feel some of that healing juju, too.
I'm sitting in the local Starbucks sipping an extra-hot soy sugar-free mocha and savoring the pillow of whip cream. It's decadence reminds me of a wonderful new spirit who recently manifested, "The Medicine Man". One of the most luscious elements of this healer is his medicine bag. I hadn't planned on a bag (though what's a Medicine Man without a Medicine Bag?) so as it manifested I simply enjoyed the ride. The beading part of embellishing a doll can sometimes be the most difficult part for me because there is such a wonderful selection of beads, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces I've collected over the past few decades to choose from. I started beading in AK inspired by an elaborately beaded bracelet I couldn't resist gifting myself with. The beading bug hit me again here in Bellingham, WA in my knitting phase where I spied a knitted, beaded bracelet at the checkout stand. They happened to be offering a class and, of course, as with all my artistic endeavors (clay, watercolors, acrylics, knitting, songwriting) I dove in. So began a knitting frenzy resulting in many sparkling bracelets to gift to my friends and loved ones. It turned out to be a wonderful skill for embellishing Spirit Dolls. Every once in a while, something calls for a tiny knitted beaded belt on a doll, like Gypsy Lee. The beads need not match or be in the same color family. In fact, the more variety the better the outcome. My default mode is to have everything match both with my beading and costumes so my fight comes in allowing a flow rather than over-thinking which beads I choose. Oftentimes, I fall back and pick out an earring with an interesting configuration to hang off of a belt or wrap around a body because all the work's been done. More and more, however, I've been taking apart those earrings and bracelets and using only parts of them. This is what happened with this Medicine bag. I started with a found crocheted, beaded bracelet. I hung the whole of it off of his hand but it just didn't feel right. So I stripped down the beads from the many strands of string and started from scratch, painting the bag white, drenching it in tiny sparkling glitter and then re-beading some of the threads. Since I couldn't find a needle that fit, I switched over to beading wire which easily hung off of the bag. Bigger, showier beads were called for at the bottom and his raiment contained a rainbow of colors so I chose whichever ones ended up between my fingers. Turquoise to represent the earth, pearls to represent the sea, white for purity and many others made out of ivory, coral and glass which held meaning to me. Anther aspect of the Medicine Man beside his belt that means a lot to me is his golden mask--the gold leaf is over 40 years old, given to me by mom who used it to gild her pottery. The mask/cab itself is one of the first 5 I made out of terracotta clay--a medium I later set aside for polymer clay because polymer can be re-worked over and over. I used to think this face/mask was a crude attempt and not one of my greater accomplishments because it had so many flaws but now I realize that those flaws contain so much character and expression.
The combination of his elements, from the metallic fabrics, beading, and mask delighted me and the details on his bag became the finishing touch to the Medicine Man. Not long after making him available on Etsy, he flew into the gentle hands of a wonderful and energetic massage therapist, Melissa. I think she detected the powerful juju in that Medicine Bag! I hope you can feel some of that healing juju, too.
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It's been a long, harsh winter with many challenges and obstacles to creating art. But...at long last, there's been a break in the clouds, buds on the trees and a fresh sense of hope in the air. A new spirit was born this month: Esperanza aka Old Bones or She Who Greets You Behind the Veil. Her gentle face has been gazing at me all winter long, waiting for a body. A clear image of her hair manifested in the deep of winter--it had to stick straight out from her head--lots of virgin wool was called for. After finishing her hair, though, there she sat waiting patiently, day after day, month after month. After much despair and accompanying the spring sunshine, I finally heard her call and she flew into being. As in songwriting, on a lucky day, her birth was fast and furious as, relatively speaking, she didn't take weeks to finish but only about a week and a half.
October 2015 Featured Fellow Artist Robin Alice, of Robin Alice Creations on Etsy.com, is a natural empath, artist, and dancer who displays her creativity in countless ways. A dance major in college, she darted and twirled her way onstage for many soul-satisfying years. In her mid-20's, though, an unexpected challenge arose with the onset of mental illness, later compounded by breast cancer in 2010. A daily battle to survive has become the impetus for her detailed, gorgeous bead creations, necklaces, totem bags, earrings and dolls. Her love of movement and freedom poured into each piece, some taking hundreds of hours, some taking years. Her reputation, as both an accomplished bead and Goddess Doll artist, has spread with her growing body of art and is enjoyed by collectors around the world. Explorations into Primitive dolls, Spirit Dolls, and Goddess Dolls all manifest her love of nature, movement and her strong connection to the creative power of life itself. She continues to serve as a mentor and source of inspiration in my life and art and I am honored to share a little of her spirit with you. What follows is a love letter which offers a fascinating glimpse into her unique universe from Robin to you. "If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us." The Gathering "I have always felt out of step, literally stumbling through my life. I've never fit in and because of that I've found solace in places many dare not tread. My grandma, mom, sister and myself all have special gifts we were born with. The true aspect manifests for me in how we utilize these gifts and express these treasures."
Children are great and true friends to this world, they bring grace, tranquility and the joy of discovery. Because you see, it is all within us, not lounging on the outside but waiting deep within our atoms in our own internal universe." "I began to dance at age four. I couldn't live without it. I could express treasures and discoveries I never dreamed. I think one small story will help explain my nature and tenacity to create through dance my will to live and the foundation for my life and creativity. At age five in a dance recital, I found myself in the front line, my glorious coral tutu swirling in time with all the dancers. Then...I fell. As I hit the floor, it felt as if a sledge hammer knocked the wind out of me. Everything happened in a split second while at the same time in a slow motion cocoon. As I looked out in the audience, everyone was laughing uproariously.
We are all given such opportunities as gifts--what makes the difference is if we can recognize these moments as such and incorporate them into our daily lives." "Dolls are as old as time itself. The gathering of leaves, sticks and tanned hides made wonderful dolls for little girls & boys, thousands of years ago. Many dolls were used in rituals and ceremonies. The Goddess doll originates not only from voodoo dolls, but from the Ancients and their use of dolls in ceremonies. "I love the timeless, tender feel of the dolls I make. I channel a lot of my spirit into these dolls, resulting in very powerful and protective energies. I intuitively let the work flow through me, rather than me guiding the doll. My hands are only the instrument. The creation of my work with dolls has enabled me to heal and assist in healing others. It's my way of saying, "I love You" to the world." "To start, I gather some fabric, fibers, buttons, beads, threads and just surrender to the doll. Much of the time as I shift fabric, wrap yarn and embellish I don't know where I'm going. In dance terminology, this is a "trance dance" between the doll and myself. I took a dance class from a master once and I will never forget how the nature of the ingredients that exist in all life comes through, and flows through and, oftentimes, knocks hard on our door to get our attention. Everyone is a great creator. One does not have to be a dancer, poet, painter etc. in order to be a creative person." "All beings thrive in this creative force. Many religions have a name for it. I practice Nichiren Buddhism and it is referred to as 'the Mystic Law of Cause-and-Effect' or "Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo". I think of it as the Divine Force." "Each person has their own way of divining this life force called creativity. It manifests in how you live your life. Each moment is a creative force that connects us to each other and everything else in the universe and can manifest in both wonder and great suffering. The name we call this force is our own and cannot be taken away by another soul." I encourage all who may read this little diary to take a walk and breath in the wonderful fresh air. Pay attention to your footsteps with each movement. Notice the sounds and the sights of the gatherings of little creatures and how they, too, dance to their own little rhythms. Be aware of the breath of the wind, the heat from the sun and maybe, just maybe, you will hear the whisper of all the guardians who walk with you and every person, who dances side-by-side with us and all of creation." Love, Robin Alice Thank you so much, Robin Alice! As always, I'm fascinated by your generous and warm-hearted spirit, abundant wisdom and awe-inspiring, diverse body art!
You can find more of Robin Alice's dolls and jewels at her Etsy store, Robin Alice Creations. Follow her art and inspiration on Pinterest. Become a fan on facebook and drink in more of her process on her wonderful blog. Fellow Featured Artist: August 2015"Don't ever let anyone tell you that magic doesn't exist, for it is always alive in your heart". Jeanne Fry, Contemporary Folk and Visionary Artist I first encountered Jeanne Fry's Spirit Dolls through fellow artist, Robin Alice, who eagerly shared a doll made by Jeanne with a gourd as its foundation. This encounter spurred me to spend time researching and discovering one of the most talented and prolific 'visionary' artists of today. Of course, I fell in love with her gorgeous and moving Spirit Dolls which she aptly calls, "Wisdom Keepers," that explore modalities in Cloth & Clay, Gourd & Clay, Painted Muslin, or All Clay sculptures. Her Wisdom Keepers Art Dolls Blog is a veritable treasure trove of inspiration, techniques and creativity that I've been feasting on for weeks. Her other artistic endeavors include Original Paintings in acrylics and watercolors, Gourd Art, Sculpting, Mixed Media, and Assemblage AND, to add to all that creativity, she also works in tandem with her husband John at Conscious Art Studios. With that impressive and, quite frankly, daunting biography, I didn't know whether she'd return my call or not. However, when I contacted her through Etsy, she immediately wrote me back and despite a very hectic schedule agreed to be featured and asked what I needed. I was going to conduct an interview but after reviewing all of the material she's made available I asked if I could simply use some quotes and images. I'm honored to present excerpts from her blog along with examples of her Wisdom Keeper Art Dolls. "Some people may wonder what a Visionary Artist is...A visionary artist is often a self-taught artist who creates by connecting with and expressing through their most intuitive self in order to portray a wider awareness and perception of life itself. This is often done within a spiritual or mystical theme. For me, this way of creating is my passion, like the air that I breathe."
"As an artist, I delve into many forms of art and technique, depending on where the source of my inspiration comes from. But the creation of my Art Dolls is the most freeing form of art. The inspirations can come from anywhere; they can come from history, ancient culture, a found object, a skein of fabric, a glimpse of a woman and our phases of life. Wherever the inspiration comes from, there is no predestined thought in mind. That raw fire is left to its own devices to become whatever it is meant to become. Sometimes they go in a much different direction than I would have thought...The more diverse they are in the creation, the more complex their artistic value. No matter the materials or techniques used, this creative form is depicting figurative sculptures of our human identity, and can be a part of our history and culture as they have for centuries. My art dolls are called "Wisdom Keeper Art Dolls", and are created as an empowering form of art for women. They come with short stories that focus on reminding us who we are and being supportive in our personal growth. They are meant to bond us as women and celebrate our diversity."
"When I need to spend time on my own soul healing, creating Art Dolls is where I turn my energy. In turn I always hope that the beautiful expressive feelings they bring me, are gifted to their collector." Each of Jeanne Fry's Art Dolls is unique and meaningful, and comes with a snippet of a short story or piece of poetry, original from Jeanne. You can find them in her store on Etsy , at her website under "Jeanne Fry Art" and also at the Conscious Art Studios site.
I want to thank Jeanne for being a never-ending source of inspiration, hope and endless creativity! June 2015 Featured Fellow Artist
Griselda Tello, artist and teacher, has been exhibiting her artwork for over 40 years. With a prolific body of work and generous spirit, she serves as a mentor to myself and many other artists. Visiting Pinterest and other artists' doll sites, you'll find her dolls showcased as examples of what a Spirit Doll remains: little healers with a big mission whose beauty and power touch one's heart. Her signature dolls feature beautifully sculpted faces wrapped in many layers of fabrics and art fibers, often with a little moon cradled in its arms. These small cocoons of love perfectly express her dynamic spirit and appreciation of nature. You'll find here a small sampling of her luscious dolls and paintings which continue to inspire artists and collectors all over the world. I don't pretend to know much about ancient traditions, but they resonate with me and I allow spirit to guide me, making dolls makes me feel good, as simple as that...they make me bloom (using the words of Dr. Estes) When people ask me why do I make art dolls...my answer is always the same...because they keep me sane and fill my soul with gratitude and peace! I am moved to seek inspiration in nature, myth, and folklore. My only hope is that people may find through my art a sense of serenity and peace. All my dolls are charged with Reiki energy, Universal Love and light force. Griselda Tello
What do I call them, people ask...they are Totem Fetishes, Numen Spirits or Fantasy Art Dolls, they are my interpretation of Manitou, they are Nature Spirits. That is what I call my little dolls, a little mystery that keeps on giving me joy. Griselda Tello
Here's a generous gift from Griselda for you: a step-by-step tutorial on making a Nurturing Doll from Griselda's FB site! I encourage you to try your hand at one. “Dolls are one of the symbolic treasures of the instinctual nature. For centuries humans have felt that dolls emanate both a holiness and mana – an awesome and compelling prescience which acts upon persons, changing them spiritually. Dolls are believed to be infused with life by their makers. They are used as markers of authority and talismans to remind one of one’s own power.” She has yet to be named but I'm bursting at the seams to share my first doll of 2015! I love the rich colors, compassionate stance and her wing-like gauze! She'll be up on Etsy soon--I hope... Addendum 1/21/15: She's ready for her new home available on Etsy and aptly named! And I'm proud to present my first attempt at a wearable brooch, Bugaboo! A bit of sunshine for these dark winter days...I had so much fun making him.
Doll-making is an ancient creative form that touches the souls of women. Through the delicious act of creation, you will reawaken to yourself and experience a deep transformation. You will feel her in your body. She is your direct connection to spirit; she will guide you, speak to you, be your inner strength. She is your loving, spiritual guide whose wisdom you can rely on and trust. She is your higher self. She will unwaveringly be on the journey with you. She is your touchstone of identity.
Attend any or all 4 of these fun workshops designed to help you reconnect with your spirit, inner voice, and intuition surrounded by like-minded seeking souls, nestled in the magnificent scenery of Birch Bay, WA. All workshops feature guided meditations, step-by-step instructions, 1-on-1 support and plenty of materials. These workshops are for you if you are in need of respite, relaxation, healing and laughter! No special skills needed. Friday, October 24 1-4pm mini-workshop “Creating a Polymer Clay Face” Registration: $20 Materials: $10 Saturday, October 25 1-5pm Main Workshop : “Creating a Spirit Doll” Registration $35 Materials: $15 Sunday, October 26 mini-workshop “Talking Sticks & Prayer Sticks" 10am-1pm Registration: $20 Materials $10 mini-workshop "Wisdom Books” 2pm-5pm Registration: $20 Materials $10
October 2014 Featured Fellow ArtistIsn't it wonderful to find some peace through art? Can you share a bit of your process in creating a Spirit Doll? Whenever I make a doll, whether it is a Goddess doll or Spirit Doll, they never come out how I intend them to be. I start by choosing a fabric or a polymer clay face that I have made and think of who it should be. As I start making the doll, adding things here and there, before I know it, she doesn't look anything like I thought she would, and she has become someone entirely new! It also seems to depend on the mood I am in when I'm working how these dolls turn out. I love spending time creating them while burning my incense, watching movies, t.v or listening to music. I can spend days, weeks or just hours making them. Again it all depends on the doll. Hi Cathy! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your inspiration for making Spirit Dolls? Blessings everyone, and Hello! I have always had art in my life. I have worked in many different mediums. Before becoming a doll maker, I loved painting, and I still do. My nephew Joe was killed a week after turning 30 in 2003 while building a house when a fully-dressed heavy wall fell on him. He was an only son, and the last to carry on his family name. As you can imagine we were all very hurt and lost by this tragedy. My sister...It was really hard for her. She helps manage a metaphysical book store with all kinds of wonderful things in it and she was inspired to start making Spirit dolls to help us get through this awful tragedy. That is when it all started. Since then, my oldest daughter contracted a rare brain cancer--so rare only about 100 people in the world have it. The medical staff managed to remove the tumor that grew from her eyebrow bone into the back of her skull but the treatment, Proton Therapy, gave her another tumor in her pituitary gland. Two of my oldest daughter's also have Huntington's disease. On top of this, I lost my mother in 2011 and my dad in 2012--they were together for 65 years. It was very hard losing them. It seems every year more and more of us are getting sick. My art has become an outlet for me and very much needed therapy. Do you have any tips for other artists? I have a few tips! For soft-bodied dolls: draw your pattern first, then copy it on to thin cardboard so you always have it. Trace it onto freezer paper, shiny side down. You can then cut an area out around the pattern, not on the lines of it. Iron it onto your fabric, then sew on the lines. For small dolls it is best to set your top stitch length to one. The tiny stitches are better, allowing you to rip off the paper and trim up the fabric. Turn it inside out and you are ready to go!
Besides creating your lovely pieces of art, what do you do? I am a Grandma, sometimes called, "Mema". I married for my second time and we've been together for over 20 years now. I have three beautiful daughters and three very handsome grandsons. Other things I like to do: read, go online (Cathy's Pinterest site here) and see the beautiful creations of others, work and walk in the 2 acres of wonderful yard and woods we own. We live in Michigan and I just love fall and winter--and yes, I love snow!!! Here's are a couple of special pics I wanted to share: On the left, my youngest daughter, Maria, and myself. My parents are in the middle pic and on the right are my other daughters. My oldest daughter, DeeAnna, is on the right, and my middle daughter, Jennifer, on the left. They were at a benefit to raise money for DeeAnna. Thank you so much, Lili, for inviting me to share my dolls, my art, my life and some tips. It was really fun! Blessings to all of you! Thanks so much, Cathy!
You're an inspiration as an artist, mother, aunt, daughter and friend. Find Cathy's art in her store treasuredwishes on Etsy.com and on Pinterest! September 2014 Featured Fellow Artist Tell me a bit about yourself... I'm a California lady living near the beautiful coast, though I was born in Michigan. I am blessed to be sharing life with my soul mate husband, who is a writer, and three very remarkable rescued cats. I enjoy being in nature and love animals. I've been creating in one form or another most of my life. I can get totally lost in my work. I love the silence of the creative state, so peaceful. I dislike doing the same piece of art twice, and so I am always trying to develop new skills, and as a result, my artistic style and direction change frequently. What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it? While I can't remember the first thing I made, I began painting fairly early on and did that for some time. Then I began to feel that my art needed to be more three-dimensional and so the dolls began to develop. It is fascinating to watch a little spirit doll take form! They really seem to have a life of their own. I create because I enjoy the process and because there seem to be many works of art waiting to be born. I create art for the soul. I'm not trying to make any particular statement with my work. The art just develops on its own and I am only the one who assembles it. What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from? I tend to look at the world through an artist's eye and so I see shapes and colors everywhere that often give me ideas. Fabrics will sometime inspire me with their colors and patterns. I might read a book that will trigger an idea. Nature provides a great source of inspiration. I might wake up in the morning with an idea. Or sometimes inspiration just flows into my mind as if from nowhere. What are your favorite materials? Exotic fabrics and yarn, wood, stones, fibers. Can you share some of your process in creating your dolls? An idea will come to me, and I'll do a quick sketch to get it down. I'll look at my fabrics and yarns until something jumps out at me. Then I just follow my intuition and let the work develop at its own pace. I've never been able to just decide to do a particular piece of artwork in a certain way, which is why I don't do commission work. Instead, I "listen" to the doll, and she will tell me what she wants. I never know what any of my pieces will look like until they are finished, which is a great source of surprise and delight. All of my creations are my own original designs and one of a kind. I take much care in the workmanship to ensure that each piece reflects its own special beauty. My dolls have been exhibited in art shows across the country and have won awards. It is my wish that those who see my work will feel the positive energy in each piece and be uplifted and inspired by it. Recently, I have begun painting again, and have opened a second Etsy shop - SylverWoode Art Prints - where I offer both fine art prints and children's art prints. Apart from creating things, what do you do? My husband and I have a technical writing/consulting business that keeps us quite busy. This can sometimes make it challenging to find the time for my creative work. I love to read and enjoy a wide range of subjects. When not involved in art, work, or running the household, I love spending quiet time with my husband and our three furry kids. Doll-making is an ancient creative form that touches the souls of women. Through the delicious act of creation, you will reawaken to yourself and experience a deep transformation. You will feel her in your body. She is your direct connection to spirit; she will guide you, speak to you, be your inner strength. She is your loving, spiritual guide whose wisdom you can rely on and trust. She is your higher self. She will unwaveringly be on the journey with you. She is your touchstone of identity. From Laura Power on Pinterest: What is a Spirit Doll? Spirit dolls are representations of something one wants or needs. First used by ancient peoples, dolls were fashioned out of simple materials like wood, hides, stone and leaves. They represented deities, spirits, or simply something of necessity. Ceremonies with dancing and feasting would be performed on special dates in honor of each doll. Kachina dolls of the Southwest Hopi Indian tribe are examples of spirit dolls. From Marlena Fields, PCC: Spirit Dolls are messengers you make with your own two hands… and they speak to you of just exactly what you need to hear to thrive in new, more confident ways...as we move through difficult situations like:
Everything we experience is a teacher. It is important that we have a way to come back to our center, to be in touch with our inner guidance, to connect with who we are. As we recognize our inner strength, we can more easily move through the process. We can draw on our inner core and recognize our own resilience. Then, we can go out and do what we need to do with greater confidence, grace and ease. What I’ve seen is that every woman has options. Once you pause long enough to reflect on your inner knowing, you can find your own answer in your heart. You have the ability to reconnect with yourself in a way that will help you unlock what has been keeping you stuck. You will look at what no longer fits or serves you and begin to make choices from a place of personal power and self responsibility. Your spirit doll will support you to make decisions that are the right ones for you. Your spirit doll holds your essence. You will discover the magnitude of your full, true self. Your answers will come from a place of inner wisdom. This is a healing experience of self acceptance.
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