Edwardian Art Dolls at Dictionaryreader Shop

We've had quite a week here of snow, bitter cold, and closed schools.
It's a change from the slushy wet snow, this week it's been white powder
and all of the skiers and snowboarders have got to be on the mountain top!
It was 3 degrees F. the other morning. That probably drops us down to a
gardening zone 4 this year!

Many other "good things" have been happening too. I've completed a few
art dolls from clay. One deserves another until I have a little village!
Do see all of my completed clay handmade, hand sculpted dolls in my shop.
They are brand new, but created with Jane Austen, the Federal Era and
Edwardian Era in mind where possibly tea was taken more seriously and
fabrics and books were discussed every day! My kind of day.   

Topiary Animals- Green Art Forms

Maybe next year we won't grow vegetables in our garden. We'll plant our own zoo like this. Isn't it gorgeous?





This Scottie is at Hyde Park.




The longhorn cattle are appropriately at a nursery in Texas.

The clipped birds below are in Asia.

Wooly Dogs

Magnificent in miniature. These two terriers will steal your heart. Each one is tiny and are handmade, wool felted dogs.

ACEO FRIDA KAHLO Original Dolls Paintings

My spool dolls watch over me encouragingly every day

so inspiration struck to paint them and here comes

this little set of aceo paintings.

They are on 2.5 by 3.5 stretched canvas

and 3/8- inch deep with the sides painted black

She will be for sale

here this afternoon

where my real Frida sculpture doll is also for sale.

Recycling to Art Sculpture Mixed Media

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I saw this lovely work of art today... And I am inspired! We have lots of little of old hardware pieces tucked away that were here when we moved here. Now the possiblities are becoming very clear what to do with them. Here they've used a crate, old watering can, a faucet spout and it's adorable and hanging on the outside of their old smoke house turned potting shed. The weathered colors are so calming.



Have any of you made anything like this before?

Cupcakes Outsider Art Paintings

Humor is part of an illustrator's job. Sly humor is the best road to run. Mix in a little imagination and color, stir well and pour out onto the canvas... no weight gain involved in these cupcakes...I'm finishing my Alice in Wonderland cupcakes and I hope you'll fall in love with them like I have. (I promise not to be jealous if you do.)

The cheshire cat and the madhatter titter totter on a flattened cupcake wrapper balanced on another rolled up cupcake wrapper. (There is no end what these cupcake folks think to do with these wrappers.) Since the madhatter has more frosted (frosting) hair than the cat he's on the edge...figuratively and literally.

About the colors---I am into recycling brown paper bags so I love the neutral background color for that reason. It's a crafty color. The blue grey is from one of our siamese cats. These cupcakes are similar to my other alice in wonderland paintings, but differ in shape! Fun round shapes and yet still very handsome.

Up for sale.

Primitive Folk Art Sculpted Black Americana Doll

Dollmaking is an art that does not grow old for me. I've always thought of myself as a painter and not a scupltor. That changed a few weeks ago when I started my very first clay dolls!

I tried to sculpt Valentine from one of my black folk art paintings. I must confess I enjoyed painting her the most when creating her. Sewing is another creative avenue.

Valentine's hair is pulled into a side bun. She stands 20 1/4-inches tall. Straight and elegant. Valentine is up for sale on ebay now. Just type candylei in the search box. Be sure to stop back in to see my other dolls that are nearing completion.

Making and Shaping a Paperclay Folk Art Doll

To begin just get your hands wet and start shaping your doll. Have a bowl of water at hand to keep dipping your fingers in and keep shaping. My dolls will look like the girls in my paintings so I shaped them accordingly.

I attached the clay to the stair rail spindle and then finished shaping it. This clay attaches itself to most everything and it shrinks a bit as it dries. The railings are a great way to give your dolls height and, if attached to another block on the bottom, keep them standing securely.

Drying times vary, but give it a few days to cure or fully dry. The paint works as a sealer so it's important that it be dry first before painting.

Here I have started painting my black americana girl. I put a close-hanger wire through the upper body to make space to attach her arms. You can use wire, small dowls, string and buttons to attach arms. I don't think I will use this fabric but it was handy for the picture and it does look good against her facial coloring.

Paperclay is super to work with. Keep it wet and you don't need many tools. Your fingers can smooth out everything as long as they are wet. A wet sponge buffs it like a light sanding when it's wet. You can also sand when it's completely dry. I've heard people say the finished doll looks like china. Especially with a glossy finish.

For this doll it took 1 1/3 packages of paperclay. 6 oz. packages. Check back for the finished doll! She will be up for sale on yes, you guessed it, ebay.

Recycled Aluminum Cans Halloween Sculpture

Back in Maryland our town put up halloween scarecrows from various groups. This one has a painted balloon eye against an aluminum pie tin. The tonque is an umbrella cover! How fun to recycle these cans into sculptures for halloween. Is this a sea horse or a dragon?