In 2015, after 25 years of making one-of-a-kind art dolls, I returned to my first love, drawing. I deconstruct memories, dreams, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and lullabies that are part of childhood and adult culture. I use Caran d’Ache Luminance colored pencils and/or a 4/0 Rapidograph technical pen with sepia permanent ink. I draw on Arches Hot press archival paper. I prefer to wear an OptiVisor because it removes the discomfort I experience with glasses and keeps me very focused on my work. Only when I’ve finished a piece does a story reveal itself.  

 

My one-of-a-kind art dolls stand less than 5 inches tall. Each tiny face is sculpted from the likeness of a child I know and love. Outfits are made from a collection of hand-dyed wool and silk, vintage and antique fabrics, lace, and trim that might have started out as a costume on Broadway or perhaps even at the Moulin Rouge. I use these materials to capture a sense of wonder in each piece. 

 

I believe the doorway to imagination is a great big door.  The first time I walked through it, I was five years old, sitting in my mother’s garden.   I had a firsthand encounter with a fairy.  In the blink of an eye, the memory stayed with me until my hands could finally accomplish what my heart had seen so long ago.  Now, when I close my eyes at the end of the day, my mind takes me on a journey to magical places.  Sometimes the stories follow me back into the morning, where I fill my studio with new art.