|
|
A Doll Artist's Address Book First off, visit the NIADA (National Institute of American Doll Artists) website. Look here for information on Membership, Annual Conference information, and details of the Master Classes offered there. You will also be able to view dolls by the artist members, and read their bios and artist statements. There are also additional links to individual artists' pages. MY LIST OF DOLL CLUBS Look here for a list of clubs in your area. DOLLMAKING CALENDAR Here's a list of upcoming events for dollmakers. Other Links: Maureen Adrezin's needle-felted dolls are so cute! I especially love the bunny and the blue fish. Nicola Allison's webpage is a font of information about her polymer, paperclay and resin dolls. You can buy her video on Making Tibetan Wigs on our shop site! Yara Anderson has some very unique dolls! This is a great example of an artist developing a distinctive style. Angels Unawares Webring is a wonderful new idea. You can view dolls here by a lot of different dollmakers I haven't even had time to explore all the linked sites. Wendy Zupan Bailey's dolls are imaginative and original, and she is even starting to make automata. You got to give it to her for trying that! Charles Batte is an expert theatrical costumier, so his dolls are exquisitely dressed. A member of NIADA, his dolls walk a fine line between comedy and tragedy. Akira Blount, a NIADA artist, and husband Larry, make dolls from cloth with air-dried clay over it, then another layer of fabric. Larry makes the twig furniture. Esther Brassac, a French doll artist, dabbles in lots of wonderful techniques for her wooden dolls. Her site is bilingual. David Robert Celitti's redone website is a must-see. His dolls are made of wax, and simply stunning. Liz Lusk of Houston, TX is new to dollmaking, but an artist from way back. Take a look at her paintings when you browse her site. Very impressive. Stephanie Blythe A NIADA artist, Stephanie makes wonderful porcelain figures in small scale. You have probably seen her teacup fairies copied over and over by other dollmakers. Cabaret Mechanical Theatre is a brilliant site, all about automata. You can learn how to make your own, and view a lot of wild and wacky creations by some very well-know automata artists. Very informative and fun! (Chris) Chomick and (Peter) Meder, members of NIADA, really push the edge to create fabulous modern images as dolls, and even make some of them into automata. They have a fun website, including a flipbook that kids can make themselves. The Cloth Doll Connection is Karen Samuelson's fantastic site for anyone interested in... well, Cloth Dolls! Look here for great links, books, magazines and supplies - as well as Karen's own dolls! The Cloth Doll Depot, where their goal is to meet your needs as a dollmaker and save you time in your search for quality tools, fabrics, fibres, patterns, & books. Paul Crees and Peter Coe have created over 400 dolls in their unique and elegant style. They have an extensive gallery where you can view their dolls, some of which are one of a kind. Jodi and Richard Creager , NIADA members, are one of the hottest teams in doll art. She does the faces and hands, he does the legs and bases. A really beautifully designed site, full of Richard's beautiful photographs of these life-like dolls! I've used Creative Paperclay on many of my dolls. They have their own site with lots of info, new products, fun projects and more links. Patricia Medaris Culea's dolls are charming and upbeat. You can buy her patterns, get a free class on making simple shoes, and find lots of links to suppliers of beads, dyes and dollmaking supplies. You can't look at her dolls without smiling. Anike Daanen sculpts unique porcelain art dolls. Her love of fabrics, lace and trims is obvious in her imaginative creations! Jane Darin don't miss the one-of-a-kind fabric sculptures and more... especially the collectable EEros designs... of this delightful artist! Mark A. Dennis specializes in sculpting one-of-a-kind portrait dolls from polymer clay. The poses are very graceful and life-like. Marty Donnellan is another Atlanta dollmaker, and collector. She also has patterns and some supplies for sale. Linda Espy Besides making Santas and St. Nicholas dolls, she also makes character figures and has sculpted Albert Einstein and Mark Twain. Fine Art Doll Gallery features dolls of members Michele O'Neil, Cheri Hiers, June Goodnow and Tom Banwell and many others. Debbie Flanigan's homepage Kringle Creek offers patterns molds and classes on dollmaking in cloth and polymer clay. Dan Fletcher recently joined NIADA. His dolls are made of washi paper, but Dan is not Japanese. He studied under a Living National Treasure to learn to make dolls in this traditional style. Janette Flood makes her dolls from felt, using air-dried clay to form the original faces, which are then molded and covered in felt. View Robin Foley's dolls and animals in a wonderfully designed site. (Well, she is a graphic artist, so what did you expect?) Especially nice is her dancing Ganesha, the hindu god with an elephant's head. The Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC is well worth a stop at milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Open 9 - 6, and admission is free! Brian and Wendy Froud now have their own website! What a treat! And they even have beautiful e-cards that you can send to your friends. Truly delightful! Check out the film site, where they talk about working on "The Dark Crystal." I worked on that production (for about two days) and met Brian Froud at Henson Studios. Visit June Goodnow's page for a look at her character dolls, including the Native Americans for which she is best known. June is a member of NIADA. Michael Hinkle features the doll art of world-class artists, including many NIADA artists.Specializing in one-of-a-kind pieces, this site is a window to a unique world of Figurative Mixed Media Sculpture. Carleigh Hoff offers us the Green Spirit Studio, a place of elemental magic where fascinating little people (one-of-a-kind mixed-media figurative sculptures) are brought to light. Maggie Iacono has created the only collectible, pressed wool felt doll that is completely poseable using her own unique ball jointing system, and all are hand-made. Maggie is a member of NIADA. Wonderful dolls! Great site! Tomoko Inoue is a Japanese dollmaker, with just a few doll photos on her site, but you'll find the photos of doll accessories and the porcelain process very interesting.. J.A.S.P.E.R. Chara Dolls Collection. David and Kimberly have been collecting dolls and action figures for many years. A rather odd collection it is. Still, I love Toshiro Mifune, and there is a great doll of him there. Meet Paula Johnson. From the Ozarks, her tiny fairies are quite lovely. Especially Airabella. She has patterns for sale, too. Look for her patterns and Doll Classes. Marsha Krohn makes dolls inspired by life and fantasy. Her style is still evolving, but I have to say, I like Rumplestiltskin the best! Michael Langton, one of the few male NIADA doll artists, makes his figures from laminated wood, with complex joints for posability. Lisa Lichtenfels is perhaps the best-known doll artist in NIADA. Her soft sculpture dolls are unsurpassed in their beauty and realism. Although Jean Lotz is primarily known for her wooden dolls, you will find a lot of information on her pages about wooden dolls by other artists, and the historical doll, Hitty. Joy Martin's site has cloth doll patterns books and supplies. She is in Australia for those of you on the "other side" of the world. Mary O Martin has some of her doll pictures up on the web. Take a look! Mini World is an excellent source for dollmaking supplies, books and much, much more! Anne Myatt Studios Anne makes portrait dolls. Using the warmth of cloth, the dolls are very touchable and not at all cold like some porcelain dolls. Take a look at Hagar and Ishmael. Sylvia Natterer, an Austrian doll designer, is also a member of NIADA. She creates lovely dolls in many media, from wood, to paper, to fabric, you name it! Sashi Nagayam has a delightful website featuring her cloth dolls including lovely fairies, dolls in the dress of her native India, sketches and more! Jill Nemirow-Nelson makes tiny little dolls in lots of surprising ways. Jill works so small, that she calls her 12" doll JUMBO! Very creative porcelain dollmaker. Kelly M Parker Designs Kelly Parker is a contemporary artist working in a vast mix of media; fabric, clay, paper, paint, and other natural and man made materials. Very original! Joyce Patterson's cloth doll characters are full of fun and whimsey. Barbara Piano's inner child has created these dolls, which live in the world of make-believe. Marilyn Radzat creates enchantment with her fantasy figures. She works in different clays, and always adorns them with extra textures to make a fine three-dimensional collage. She is a NIADA artist member. Wanda Rea's The Artist Doll contains fine art dolls by a variety of doll artists, with lots of links to more. Good quote: "Doll sculpting is a fine art practiced by many, and mastered by few." Becci and John Renfro make dolls in different methods. Jean Luc the painter reminds me of Jean Luc Picard of Star Trek TNG. Lisa Risler's Cloth Doll Heaven site has over 1000 doll patterns for sale - from over 100 artists from Canada, New Zealand, Australia as well as the US. Lynne & Michael Roche of the U.K. make fine dolls from wood, porcelain and fabric. Each doll is handcrafted, and the clothing is often colored with natural dye! They are members of NIADA. Forest Rogers is one of NIADA's newest artists, and her stunning clay figures can be seen on her website. Susan Scogin, a NIADA artist, makes tiny dollhouse sized dolls in porcelain. You have never seen so much detail in such a small size! Judy Skeel offers workshops, patterns a gallery and more on her website. Visit With Love From Skeelhaven. Dorit Shendzielortz has a new website, showing her dolls, both polyform clay and needlesculpted. Connie Smith makes anthropomorphic animals. She joined NIADA recently, helping to expand the definition of the term "art dolls." Pauli Driver Smith's To Follow a Dream Doll Studio is a beautiful site with pictures of her original one-of-a-kind and limited edition creations. Be sure to check out her Victorian Clipart collections, too! Uwe Sörensen has a site devoted to her one-of-a-kind Marionettes. The site is in German, with Italian and English alternatives, but the translation is a bit off..., but the images are beautiful in any language! Barb Spencer Dolls has dolls, patterns, doll hair, miniatures, doll shoes, buttons, lace, etc. Several pages of doll hair in a variety of materials and styles! Wish I had found this sooner. Debbie Stalter's Enchanted Valley is where Santa dolls of every kind are lovingly sculpted by hand. There are even some "scenes" where Santa is working, playing or dancing with his wife. George S. Stuart insists that he makes Historical Figures, not dolls. But he joined NIADA anyway, and we are honored to have him. Nothing comes close to his figures for accuracy and grandeur. Here's an idea I have often thought about doing. Custom Cake Toppers by Dawn Stubitsch. She makes each one by hand, so the bride and groom will have a one-of-a-kind keepsake of their wedding. Very cute! Audrey Swarz Originals website is chock full of pictures of her lovely Original Dolls, Angels, Santas and Elves. Don't miss it! Beth Thomas' site "Mere Whimseys" showcases her handsculpted creations in polymer clay, papier mache and paperclay. The fairy that follows your mouse around the screen is very cute. Carla Thompson, a NIADA artist, makes dolls from felt. But they are nothing like Lenci. You can find a few of her dolls her. Shelley Thornton another member of NIADA, has a new site, with beautiful photos of her sensitive dolls and really thoughtful insights into Shelley's work. And now she has a 3-D annex where you can turn the doll around and see it from every angle! Very cool! Robert Tonner, of NIADA, is now one of the most celebrated doll designers in the world. His stylish Tyler doll is a real winner! Stylized dolls, quilted wall hangings and wearable art all come together to fill Anita Trezvant's website with an Ethnic flavor. Marlaine Verhelst uses porcelain and papier mache to achieve very original doll art. Although she is from the Netherlands, she is a member of NIADA. Annie Wahl, a NIADA artist, has created a page featuring her darling character dolls, which just might remind you of your Uncle Bill or Aunt Fanny. Don't miss her delightful creations! If you want whimsey, you must see Kathryn Walmsley's lovely dolls. She works in polymer clay, sometimes putting them in wonderful 3-D settings. She is a member of NIADA. Mary Ann Walsh has created a Doll Clothes Superstore, where you can find clothes for a wide variety of dolls and bears. The selection and prices are unbelievable! Mary Ward's site, Cottonwool Baby Studio, is full of pictures of her soft sculpture, showcasing her wonderfully developed painting and drawing skills. Hildegard Wegner Her figurative sculpture is emotional and thought provoking to say the least. Her wood carving is superb. Nancy Wiley uses oil paints over her dolls, including the clothing. Her painterly style comes from a background of portrait painting. Long a member of NIADA, her dolls have even been on the cover of George Magazine. Barbara Willis Designs Enter her site through the "closet door". (Very cute!) Barbara has photos of her lovely dolls, and you can even buy her patterns online! (Or you can browse our bookshop for five of them!) URL:addressbook.html |
