Journey nearly ended

Its been a long time since I have posted on this blog I have finished my second doll am about to start number three. However today I drew Its been so long since I picked up a piece of charcoal and this canvas has been waiting a long time for its resolution I started it in St Helens in 2006 Wow ! four years! I always knew I wanted an eagle on it after my Dad's death in 2007 the eagle has become the symbol for my father as much as the dolls have been a story for my mother. The prolific amount of eagles in this small community have urged me closer and closer to completing this canvas, and today I just woke up and wanted to draw Mind you never again am I going to use charcoal in the downstairs foyer White ceramic tiles are not companionable with heavy charcoal especially the way I apply it. So next time I will be on the front verandah Mind you with the bay and the bush its not a bad spot to draw. Next I will tackle the box to contain the dolls I was contemplating making it some kind of paper mache bird that the dolls could reside inside very much in keeping with the African legend I found about the magic of a soul being placed in the body of a bird so it can ascend to heaven. Paper mache may be too time consuming so I am still considering it

1st 3-d doll

I have finished the 1st of the dolls I was very happy how she went together It took me a while to know what to do with the face I did not really want a simple stitched face Yet I wanted it simple and graphic enough for a viewer to read into it as in my drawings. My drawings were simple face drawn then rubbed
into mostly the faces were purely accidental.
The stark stitching I had in the beginning was just not quite right so I cut and glued and secured with hand stitching a piece of transparent fabric. I had previously dyed and printed on this The stray lock of hair and configuration of the face was random when I viewed the finished piece I was a little put off by the line from one eye to the mouth Then it reminded me of the scars on my mothers face from car accidents and cancer removal surgeries she had had So I left it. When I make the next dolls I will embroider printed fabric into the faces. Faces emerged in my transparent hangings these were random and unintentional as well.
The photos don't quite do justice to the doll she is very tactile and pleasant to hold she has an unplanned twist to the body that works very well it echoes the rhythm of the charcoal drawings. I will make different poses for the next dolls.

The beginnings of the 3d dolls

I have begun working and this is the fronts piece for the doll I am going to make them as Mirka Mora did with simply a back and a front sewn together and stuffed I want to keep the construction as simple as possible because all the detail and work will be in the surface application. I am machine embroidering and adding bits of prints and other embroideries I have constructed in my journey so far On reviewing my artists journal once Julie Montgarrat asked what I was going to do with all the bits the little swatches and experiments I have done along the way I did not know then Now I know this is one application. I am using my lovely old treadle to embroider not only because it is by far the best free motion sewing machine I own but it also connects me to women in my past and women of the 3rd world countries that still use these machines for their wonderful creations that compliment their domestic lives It reminds me how I saw wonderful embroideries and applicate in the hills above Chang Mia in Thailand wonderful clothes being created by mothers for their daughters up coming wedding ceremonies.

How these dolls will fit in with what I already have and how I will present them is yet to be determined I have a few ideas that I will toss around then try to put some substance to along the way. I am ready to start on the back view of the doll tomorrow and hope to post a pic of the finished doll by the beginning of next week Providing this method works well I intend to make the six dolls Two Male, four female one female with blonde hair as the representation of my family.

To Begin

I have set this blog up as a way of working through my masters degree I have just this year and two units to complete One is to finish off the practical work I have been doing since I began and the other is to collate and justify it all in a theses.  I am revisiting many of the readings I have previously read and written on "Way of all Women", by J Ester Harding, Of Woman Born, by Adrienne Rich, "Joy Hester" by Janine Bourke to name a few. Joy Hester is one of the artists who have influenced my work as is Frida Karhlo and Mirka Mora I am as fascinated by these women's personal life stories as I am by their work.

I will be posting thoughts and photos on here as I progress through the year and blog about what I am currently working on. I am embroidering right now, influenced by Mirka Mora I am endeavoring to actually make a set of the dolls I previously made small air dry clay and fabrics sets only to give as gifts to my family . Now I have the urge to actually make bigger dolls I hope by embroidering them and basing them on my drawings that I create something new and not merely recreate the small Gutamalan set you can purchase So far I am happy with what I am doing I will post pictures once I make the first one up