II've decided to write a book. About my dolls.I'm working on putting together the visual material and compiling the information i want to accompany the images. I'm also pulling up concept sketches and work in progress for every costumed doll project I've done and hope to do before the release of the book to go along with the finished piece and show evolution of the doll from idea to drawing to porcelain and jewels.Needles to say i'm really excited about this! My goal is to complete and publish the book in time for my solo show, which gives me 7 months. Not very long, but oh well. I'll do my best.This book will pretty much sum up my work up to the time of the show. I'm also tossing around the idea of either somehow doing it in two languages, or publishing a full Russian language version.And even though i haven't even completed my first book, I'm already thinking about the second and a much more challenging book to publish. I'd like to illustrate a very famous fairy tale with my dolls as well as drawn illustrations. I will need to make much more than the full "cast" of characters in this fairy tale, I'll also have to make props to set up the scenes for the dolls. I have no doubt that i can do it all, it's only a matter of time.But, first things first.I could use some input from Enchanted Doll admirers as to what they would particularly like to see in this book besides the beautiful portraits of the dolls. So feel free to suggest anything, it just might make it into the book.
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My solo Show at Villa Terrace Museum
I would like to publicly announce that my first solo show is finally scheduled for April-June 2009, at the Villa Terrace Museum of Decorative Art in Milwaukee, Wisconsin!It was scheduled a little bit sooner than i expected which leaves me with less time to organize it. This directly affects my custom nude order schedule because this only gives me a one-two month window in which to take orders before i have to go full speed into show preparation mode starting January 2009.I haven't figured it all out yet, but I will continue to make announcements on the status of order schedule. We'll see what happens.As for now, i'm really excited about the show and look forward to it. There is so much work to be done yet and i will have to work harder that ever. However i don't think that's possible as i already work double time. It'll be a great show!
A day outside the studio
It was my boyfriend's birthday on June 7th so I put my work away and took a day off. This is what i look like when i'm not working....sort of. Not always drinking and gambling though.We went to the horse track not far from Down Town Vancouver, where we live, and spent the day drinking, betting on horses and chilling. It was a lot of fun, although the day was rather cold for June. That's summer time in Vancouver for you.In the very first race a horse went down head over hoofs along with the jockey who also got kicked in the head by the oncoming horse's foot. He crawled off the track and collapsed on the grass face down. The horse stayed down too and within seconds the track was swarming with attendants and an ambulance. They got the horse up and it didn't appear that it sustained serious injuries to every one's relief, but the jockey was taken away in the ambulance. He was conscious though and waived to the crowd.We were lucky in the first three races with our horses coming in first and second, but then we lost our winnings on the other 6. Which was fun anyway. The end.
No time to post
I've been catastrophically short on time the last 3-4 weeks.I'm in super crunch right now with multiple deadlines converging on me and i'm finding it hard keeping my sanity. It's almost over though. This Sunday I'm completing the shoot for Scheherezade and the other two OOAK costumed dolls i've been working on for Haute Doll Magazine and sending all the final materials to the editor that night.Then maybe i'll take a nap. Maybe.I'll post the sneak peak shots of the dolls on my site and here by the end of next week. I'm so excited to see this finally come together, especially since i haven't completed many costumed dolls in the last year. The two dolls will not be seen anywhere, not even on my site until the fall issue comes out. They are being kept a secret. The third one, however might be shown on my site, but not anywhere in print for several months. Just to give you guys a taste of what's to come because all three of them share a similar theme.But in the future, if I don't post for a while, it's because i'm crazy busy working on something new which will soon debut on this blog and/or the site. So, if i'm neglecting to post for over a week-it's a good thing that foretells progress and new dolls.
Desk in Action
This is one of my work desks. Yup, I have several. All identical. But this is the primary one.I took this a couple of nights ago when i was in the midst of doing some metal work. I was cleaning up some new silver castings for my present one of a kind, costumed doll project. It's near completion.I try to keep my work area as clean as possible because physical mess on my desk actually manifests into a creative mess in my head. So, when i get frustrated over something or can't seem to get past a certain point in a project, I usually start tiding up and rearranging my studio space to improve its efficiency. And it works like magic to refresh my head and help me problem-solve. I seem to see things more clearly and solve all my hardest creative dilemmas at a clear desk.
Curious Things
I've been overly fascinated with a certain of moth species lately. They are called "Tolype Velleda", and are well worth a google search.Think of them as furry little animals, with wings. I'm so fascinated with them, that they may find a way into an upcoming ball-jointed doll project.