So Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving! This is just a quick post to share Sidera's new look with dress, hair, and eyelashes. We will be rushing off to our relatives momentarily so I don't have time to write much of a coherent, reflective post. But I do want to say that I'm so thankful for so many things: family, friends, the warmth of my home (considering how cold it is in Northern Kentucky today). I'm also thankful for the ability to use my eyes and hands to create some of the things from my over-active imagination, to bring to life and to share those characters and emotions that inhabit my dreams.

Sidera is one example of the outcome of these abilities. Here she is, with her dress, hair, and eyelashes. She is not finished-- she still needs shoes, a jeweled circlet (hairpiece), an elegant robe, and of course (what every Elfin Moonbeam Traveler needs): her needle felted whippoorwill!

Making progress (WARNING: Minor nudity)

I've been working on Sidera for a few weeks now and she's finally starting to look like a person...uh, I mean, doll. The theme for this doll is based on a dream I had, which is the theme for the November doll challenge from the Art Dolls Only (ADO) group. The dream was a sensual experience revolving around the moonlight, the night, and the sound of a whippoorwill's call. There were a few more components in the dream: irises, frogs chirping, the feel of a summer night's air. I've chosen to focus on the moon and the whippoorwill elements of the dream and to try to portray a sense of inner calm and knowing in my doll's expression.

My doll's name is Sidera, which means "luminous" in Latin. She is an Elfin Moonbeam Traveler, which means she travels along the moon's beams to commune with nature's creatures on the brightest nights of the months. On summer nights, when the moon is bright and you can hear a chorus of frogs and whippoorwills calling, Sidera is nearby.

Here is an updated pic of Sidera. She is ready for her hair, eyelashes, and costume now! She will also be holding a needle felted whippoorwill.

Sidera, the Elfin Moonbeam Traveler

Something Old, Something New

Hello. It is nearing the end of the year, and here in Kentucky, the leaves have turned colors; many are floating solemnly to the ground while others are well into the first leg of their journey of rebirth. This is the time of the year when the days are noticeably shorter and I tend to find myself turning inward. I often find myself in melancholy thoughts about bygone days spent with friends I've not seen in decades or distant, tropical places that continue to provide much needed glowing warmth in my dreams on cold, dark winter nights. Another thing I tend to notice about myself during this time of year is that I become hyper-creative.

As this year's end coincides with the end of the first three decades of my life, I've found myself to be particularly reminiscent while I'm working on sketches or sculptures. I began to remember so many of the fairies, animals, elves, monsters, gnomes, and other creatures that I've made over the years, and I realized that it would have been nice to have a picture of each one tucked neatly into a photo journal or a scrap-book of sorts. As a result, I've decided to start this blog to chronicle my makings.

In addition, as a sort-of early New Year's resolution, I've recommitted myself to my old love-- making art dolls. I've joined Art Dolls Only and am working on my very first challenge, "A Dream I Had." This doll is truly a challenge for several reasons, but mainly because it is experimental in construct; she is made from both air dry paper clay and needle-felted wool, and I am trying out ball-and-socket type joints that use both media. Here's hoping I can finish her by the end of this month!

Here is a pic of my doll in progress (more pics and info to follow in the next post):