International Doll and Teddy Bear Show and the "REASON" People

 

I believe there are a couple of reasons why people show up in your life.  One is to stay there for a lifetime to serve some sort of purpose, to teach you something and to help you figure out who you are, as in Eddy, my husband who constantly tries to teach me unconditional love.  (Still trying!) 

The other, is people who come into your life for a "REASON"....It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. 

 

I got to spend a week with many of those special people at the IDTS show in Asheville.....

 

Each one had a special gift for me.  Some brought experience, friendship, some laughter and some were there to teach me something I needed to learn.  Whether it was a lesson in sculpting and/or a lesson in social skills which I am known to lack. (thanks Debbie Weimert) I am becoming a "social bug" with your guidance. One extraordinary group of beautiful people.

 

Now, as far as the show.....

 ...it started on Thursday with an awesome class taught by my dear new friend, CEO of the Professional Doll Makers Art Guild, Jack Johnston.   I think this was Jack's last class as he is retiring.  Going fishing at the beach full time!  So sorry I did not get to meet him sooner. 

 

 While in the class my "helper" (husband) set up the table at the Guild's booth for me and I was so pleased at how well everything looked and how he set it up using the beautiful wood stand he had built earlier for me.   I had my own table and took 11 of my dolls to the show.  It was so gratifying to see people and collectors stop by my table and admire my dolls.  Many of my well-known artist friends came to see them and shared their suggestions and praise.

 

I was at the show as part of the Professional Doll Makers Art Guild.

The PDMAG's new CEO is Cherie Fretto, my Mentor and very special friend. (It is mainly because of Cherie that I have advanced so much.) Jack has also chosen Apryl Jensen of Sculpt University and Making Fairies for President of his business, Art Dolls.com.  I was a member of the Sculpt University for a while and learned so very much from April.  I also own many of her online classes

 

My table at the Guild's Booth

 

During the show I met face to face with my very first teacher Deb Wood, President of International Art Doll Registry of which I am a member of.  I took my first online class with her on December 2014.  It was her Mermaid Class and it seemed like yesterday.  Can you believe it has only been 2 years????

She came to my table and we talked for a bit, brought tears to my eyes, it was like she was looking right through me and reached out and touched my soul.  How awesome!!

 

I met Adele Sciortino, such a lovely person.  It is through her site Aforartisctic.com that I take many, many sculpting classes from different artists.  My dear friend Lori Pratt was there to cheer and encourage me as usual.  I met Lori last year at the show.  Her and Natalie Ruiz, always taking the time to stop by and discuss my doll making progress.  Kellie Beckett making me laugh and making me feel part of it all. And all the other new friends I acquired, too many to mention.  You don't know how much I appreciate that. 

 

For the past few months I had been working with Cherie on a Guild project and was familiar with the names of all it's members.  I had the best time putting faces together with the names!  The Guild has grown so much and I am so honored to be part of it.  Here is a group picture of all the artists from the PDMAG who attended the show.

 

During the show I met a very special lady (Sharon Ann Wells) who really liked one of my dolls and on the last day her mother bought it for her.  Sharon said my doll looked like Kat Von Dee.  I have to admit I did not know who she was talking about and had to google it, LOL.....

Her mother (Brenda Gill Wells Hartsell) is my friend and fellow artist at the Guild.

  She was so happy it made my heart sing.  Such beautiful ladies!

 

 

The culmination of the Show was the Banquet on Saturday night.  I had a lovely time sitting with people I really admire and whom I owe a world of gratitude to.  For it is because of each one of them that I have surpassed my expectations of where I wanted to be as an artist by now.  Jack Johnston, Cherie Fretto,  Linda Ehrenfried (who I look up to and told me Don Quijote was it!) and Debbie Weimert.  Each one for a very special reason. 

 

 

It was during the Awards presentation that I found out I had won two very prestigious awards for My "Don Quijote" doll.

 

 

 

Professional Doll Makers Art Guild Gold Award 2016 and

2016 Industry's Choice Award of Excellence sponsored by Dolls Magazine

 

 

Many of the artists in the PDMAG won awards.  It is such an honor to be among them.
Congratulations to all!

 

Here I am with Jack, and the President and new CEO of the Guild, Cherie.  Thanks guys for making my dreams come true!

 

 

Eddy and I are very thankful..... I am aware that some of these "REASON" people will at one time or another just go away but I know that at that time the need I had will have been met, my desire fulfilled and their work will be done.  It will be sad to see them go but I will forever hold them close to my heart, for they have helped form this new me.  I sincerely hope I touched their lives too even in a small way.

Dama De Blanco

 

NOTE:  This post contains sculptures and photography depicting nudity in an artistic form. Viewer discretion is recommended

 

LADY IN WHITE......

I came to the US as a young child and really can't remember much about Cuba.  Through my sister, Pally, who did not have the chance to immigrate with us early in the 60's, I have learned much about the country I was born in, before and after.   Because of numerous government screw ups including and not limited to loosing her application for permission to leave the country, my sister got to experience much of the terrible heartache of being a young bride away from her family, having her first child without our mom by her side and the unbearable hungry nights and brutal experiences of the newly formed communist dictatorship. Hence, she would be forced to remain there until the end of that decade when all efforts by my parents to pull her out of there, finally paid off.  Of course at 9 years of age I was clueless of what was going on around me.

Later in life I would sit and listen to her tell a few of those horrible stories and it would actually shrink my heart.  Most people cannot relate to why she is so passionate about Cuba even after more than 50 years but I would suggest to you that it would be difficult to sit with her for an hour listening to her stories and remain judgmental and uncompassionate.

This is why when she asked if I would make a doll for her that would represent oppression, liberty, silently suffering and all those emotions put into one as in for instance the Ladies in White, I thought to myself it would be an impossible task but I would certainly try!

She decided the theme would be Ladies in White and gave me a general idea of what her interpretation of the art doll would be.

Here is a bit of background on the subject.

The Ladies in White as defined by Wikipedia

Ladies in White (Spanish: Damas de Blanco) is an opposition movement in Cuba founded in 2003 by wives and other female relatives of jailed dissidents. The women protest the imprisonments by attending Mass each Sunday wearing white dresses and then silently walking through the streets dressed in white clothing. The color white is chosen to symbolize peace.

You can read more about it here.....

The doll was completely designed by her including the way I painted the flag.  Each step in the process was approved by her and her instructions were followed by me as closely as I could.  I am happy I was able to capture the essence of what she wanted in Dama De Blanco.

Here are the pictures throughout the process. 



Her head, breast, chest, arms and legs are made from Polymer Clay, the body is armature wire covered with cloth.



Trying on the Fabric


 

Hair???

Painting The Cuban Flag.  In this case, she wanted the illusion of the Flag 

Painting the Face, not too much make up

 

Completed Art Doll, Front and Back 

 

Close up

From her side

Tears in Eyes.....

 

 I hope everyone likes it as much as I do.....As far as my sister, she says I completely was able to capture the emotions and the essence of what she had in mind.  That makes me very happy!!!