Niada 2015

"Portlandia" protecting the city of Portland

I was very fortunate to attend the 2015 Niada Conference (National Institute of American Doll Artists) that took place in Portland, Oregon.  I had a wonderful time,  travelling to the conference with friends (on Amtrak for the first time), to taking a master doll class with renowned cloth doll artist Shelley Thorton, being enthralled with the key note speaker, Ronnie Burkett to enjoying the vibrant, funky city that is Portland!

I have long admired Shelley Thorton's "painterly" cloth dolls.  They evoke a sense of innocence, purity, and fun that is the best of childhood:

Her trademark is the fabric sculpted hair shapes for the hairdo.

I was delighted to take a two day class with Shelley where we were guided in making her beautiful needle sculpted heads.  I will post my doll (hopefully next month) once she is finished.  Shelley uses all cloth with mostly natural materials stuffing with wool roving and embroidering the features for a warm, innocent look.

Shelley's demonstration head

I was thrilled to share my love of art dolls with my sister who travelled from Toronto and joined me in Portland.  While I took doll classes and attended lectures she was busy visiting the sites of this fun city:

Washington Park (a natural park that includes a rose garden and a zoo!

One of the funky neighbourhoods complete with metal sculptures in the front yard.

Japanese Garden

My sister and I at the Gallery Night

Connie Smith

My sister was able to attend the "Gallery Night" (open to the public) where the newest work of NIADA artists is presented.  What a thrill:

A porcelain artist from Sidney, BC (Heather Mesiak)

Tanya Marriott (current NIADA President)

Stephanie Blythe

Leslie Molen

Neva Waldt

Kate Church

Susan Scogin (she made us a Oregon pioneer souvenir doll)

Russian artist Ima Naroditskaya (one of my favourite pieces)

Made by E. J. Taylor

 What is a trip to a doll conference without a wee bit of shopping?  I visited the Fabric Depot, Bolt, the artsy Gallery district on Alberta Street, and the downtown Button Emporium to name but a few!  The local Portland doll group gave an opening day tea at the Museum for the attendees and showed us their dolls-such talent:

A final highlight was the trip to the LAIKA, Box Trolls Studio which is in north Portland.  I was lucky enough to be one of the 25 attendees that was chosen to visit this iconic stop-motion animation studio.  It was trilling, overwhelming and delightful, all at the same time!

Internal armature in Caroline (first Laika studio movie)

Creative Supervisor, Geergina Hayns adjusting the face on one of the puppets.

Cute character puppet from the Box Trolls movie

Paranorman

It take a about 2.5 years to make a full length movie from inception to screen at the Laika studios using stop-motion animation.  We were able to see all parts of the creative process from the costume boards (fabric selection and sketches) to the construction of the armatures, puppet making process, to the set themselves during the filming process.

My favourite puppet.

During one of the many demonstrations, Toby Froud (Puppeteer fabricator and sculptor for Laika studios ) showed us his "old world" hand-held puppets :

There were many more wonderful highlights, not the least of which was connecting with fellow doll makers, some new, some very experienced but all full of enthusiasm and love of the dolls!

I would highly recommend attending a NIADA doll conference should it come to a region near you.  Next year's conference will be on the east coast in Washington DC.

Steampunk Fish II

I do love steampunk and I have made "Steampunked" fish before. For those who have not heard of the term "Steampunk" it is a sort of Victorian era meets Jules Verne scientist with clock work gears and brass bits that were the height of technology in the steam age.

Making steampunk using cloth forms is a lot of fun. First you gather all kinks of "stuff" such as metal beads, wind-up gears, chains, old keys pins and reproduction gears.  Finally you can gather household "stuff" to personalize the item such as old forks, spoons, knives, bottle caps, wine cords, pop cans, safety pins and the list goes on and on and on!  

Assembly:

I use a strong woven fabric for the fish shapes (google fish shapes for ideas).  Sew the fish, turn and stuff the form firmly.  Then gesso the form (I like to use Black Gesso) so that the paint does not soak into the fabric.  Once the gesso is dry, go to town with painting the fish using acrylic paints.  My fish are about 8" long and about 5-6" high but you can make them as large or small as you like.

Steampunk Addition:

I knew that I was making the three fish for three special young teenage boys so I gathered items to personalize each one.  I used inexpensive "Great Canadian Dollar Store" craft glue (called Premium Craft Glue) to glue on the pieces.  I also used pins, nails, safety pins, and brads to affix the items.  Once the glue dries, the pieces are very secure.  White craft glue will work as well.  I do not like to use the glue gun as it tends to come off easily once the glue dries.

Fish #1-Colourful Golfer:

For the first young lad I gathered golf tees, a small basketball charm, and a small golf-cart charm along with the bottle caps, gears chains and bright acrylic paints (he loves wearing bright colours).  "Neon, the Golfer Fish" turned out great:

 Fish #2 - Drummer/Sport Fish

For the second steampunked fish I needed eye glasses of some sort (I used one of the cheap collapsible scissors), soccer charm, tennis charm, and a drum along with the usual gears and chains:  I used a different fish shape (an Angler Fish)

Fish #3 - Computer Circuit Fish:

For the final fish the young man is into all things computer so I gathered my old computer board and cut it up!  I also used wires to reproduce his mohawk hairdo and finally a guitar charm: (Notice that I used an Angel Fish shape)

I love the final look of all three fish.  They are about 8" long by 5-6" high and can hang anywhere in the teenager's rooms.  

The fish eyes were fun to make:

1. I used wine cork which I sliced to about 1/8" thick; 
2. then use a photocopy of an eye, colour it with pencil crayons and/or markers
3. Cut out the eye to fit the cork and glue on
4. Let the glue dry and then use shiny mod-podge to add a sheen

 Below is one shape of a fabric fish that is sewn and ready to stuff (I used polyester stuffing)

Please do try to make some fish (or birds, or cats) and then steampunk them using your bits and pieces that you must have lying around the house-what fun!

Kate Church Workshop Part II

The Kate Church workshop was wonderful and unlike many workshops, students do not have to purchase multiple tools to take the class.  Kate uses a pin with a plastic head, a skewer, a wooden candy apple stick, hockey tape, and a knitting needle.  The only purchased tools needed are three sculpting tools purchased from Kate for the wholesale price ($6-10 depending on the shipping cost) A pasta machine is also very useful but not essential.

As promised, I am sharing photos of the progress of dolls from members of the workshop other than myself.  I was not able to take everyone's photos but I cannot wait to see all the finished characters as everyone's dolls were looking great by the end of the week.

This is by Jenny, as a tribute to her husband.

This will be a wee mouse girl in Paris (by Marla)  The wee witch in the back is by Michele.

This will be a bunny girl (by Marla)

The hair is made from clay as is the ice cream. (by Paula) The old man and "young un" in the back is by Lynn

This elegant lady is by Gail.

This is my favourite piece, made by Paula (his headdress is in clay) The colourful shoes in the back are by Bobbi.

I did not take photos of the rest of the dolls (some were not at the point that they wanted their photos taken)

Now my second finished doll is made with a sitting body suit that is filed with plastic pellets and polyester filling.  Unlike the first character it is not fully wired as I wanted to retain the floppy, tender look.  Since this was the first figure that I started in class, I choose to give her one shoe and try my hand at sculpting a foot (as suggested by Kate Church and as many people did with great success).

I completed the costuming in class except for her teddy bear (2", handmade by me).  I decided that she was not right for the base that I brought to the class so I made another base at home and sewed a "faux" fur rug for her to sit on.  I am pleased with her tender look.

Back of then wee doll

The wee teddy is 2" tall and hand made by me.

I used ModPodge to add the colour (using napkins) and the phrase "Tender Moments"

Enjoy!