New Project? Link Jointed Dolls

Okay, time to get back into the swing of things and do some creating again. While I really enjoyed the paper corset and dress projects, I'm ready to take those concepts to the next level by playing around with some jointed dolls.

elongated torso for bust doll

I would really like to move into something on the whimsical side, something with an elongated torso, a pretty but more primitively sculpted face, wire link joints and a head that twists. Oddly enough I found little to no information about wire link joints or even how to make them.

whimsical girl sketch

You would think that the images I was able to find would be self explanatory enough to help me figure it out and mostly they are but in my opinion they still fell just slightly short of the mark. What about the head? How does that get attached and how do I make it twist?

wire jointed doll armature

The first step will be figuring out the mechanics of it all. Since other artists appear to be unwilling to part with their carefully guarded secrets (and I don't fault them one bit) I'll have to figure this out by trial and error. Maybe I'll even put together a tutorial so that others don't have to guess.

Paper Clay Art Dolls

In my quest for paper mache beauty I stumbled upon Tatiana Gurina who creates some exquisite art dolls mostly from Fimo but this one is made from paper clay. Tatiana's site is full of photos of her beautiful dolls. She even offers tips for working with paper that you might find useful. Instructions are written in Russian so you will need a good translator.

The Birth of Venus by Tatiana Gurina

What do I love most about this doll aside from her delicate finish? That wire, oh my! I love the idea of incorporating wire into my paper mache pieces and Tatiana's Birth of Venus doll is a beautiful example. If you like this doll feel free to visit Tatiana and be inspired by the other tasty tid bits she has to offer.

Du Buh Du Art Dolls

I am fascinated and intrigued by art dolls in just about any form so it was no surprise for me to go all a twitter after finding Christine Alvarado of Du Buh Du Designs. What captivates me the most about Christine's gorgeous art dolls is her ability to connect with us on an emotional level.

Through her photographs we can almost feel the wind on our faces or hear the sounds of a rustling paper dress.

The cheers of a roaring circus crowd begin to tickle our ears as acrobats twirl from dizzying heights defying gravity just for the thrill of it. The movement of a juggler's mid air dance almost completes itself enticing our imaginations to continue the story.

Who hasn't thought of taking a ride on a flying carpet? I only ever imagined that it would be a happy occasion filled with magic and heavenly delight but what it is that makes this girl seem so sad? Is she running away or moving forward? She can be whatever I imagine her to be.

 

Christine captures mood so well not just with the expressions in the faces of her dolls but in the well thought out placement of her scenes which serves to greatly enhance those feelings of somberness or quiet contemplation. We can't help but wonder how the story ends or even how it began.

Christine's art dolls dare us to dream, to let our minds soar and connect with those soft parts of ourselves that leave us deliciously vulnerable to all of life's pleasures and pain.

All images associated with this post remain the intellectual, copyrighted property of Christine Alvarado and Du Buh Du Designs.