Christmas Countdown 10 : Christmas Tree#16

Christmas Countdown 10 : Christmas Tree#16 - Dollies

Amendment - Since writing this post, I have found out that this art doll was created by
doll, artistNeva Waldt, entitled "Gertrude finds the perfect holiday wrap "
For more like this go to this Pinterest page

Advent Blog : Day 16 - Dollies
Strictly speaking, these are not alternatives to a traditional tree, but I just had to include them. Those of you who know me know that one of my passions is doll making. This is a special blog post to wish all my friends at Gumnut Dollies, Newcastle, Original Doll Artists of Australia and Art Dolls Only a merry Christmas.
Many professional doll artists like Cindy Moyer like to create Christmas tree themed dolls, using a mixture of techniques and media, publishing their patterns. Others make dolls for their own enjoyment or as a response to a Christmas challenge in a group. The reasons for creating Christmas dolls varies as much as the techniques and the materials.

Cindee Moyer Christmas Trees

Christmas tree doll

Russian doll

Porcelain Christmas Tree Doll and Christmas Tree Light Doll

The porcelain dolls made me think of the Krinkles series of works and one of my favourite Christmas artists, Patience Brewster. I own a "pudding" girl from one of the PB series, but no Christmas trees. There are so many that I like.

Patience Brewster tree/doll

Patience Brewster Christmas tree dolls - Krinkles

Patience Brewster Tree doll and candle holder

As well as the many mixed media doll artists, there are are just as many creating from cloth or from knitting and crochet. And there is always a person to be found who creates something a little more quirky and whimsical than the usual.

And the kitsch... remember these toilet air freshener dolls? I guess one's needed even at Christmas?
I am left speechless so I include the wording on the photo as explanation "Just in time to spruce up bathroom for the holidays- a quaint air-freshener doll clothed as a decorated Christmas tree!"

So as not to end on that note, I have added a primitive" Christmas tree doll with a pattern, and some lovely little pin dolls, created at Gumnut Dollies Newcastle three years ago for a Christmas tree challenge and a swap.

Prim pattern

Hope you are enjoying the variety of Christmas trees I have uncovered.... there are a few more which may surprise you ... please continue to count down to Christmas with me.

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

29 Faces

"29 Faces " is an online art challenge - blog and Facebook . The challenge is to create a face each day of September ( with one day for catch up) .... I decided to take up the challenge to practise drawing faces for my dolls and to practise techniques with coloured pencils. I received a set of 60 pencils from my daughter last Christmas so I wanted to be sure I used them before next Christmas! I love making tags so I combined tag making with "29 Faces", so I will also have some unique Christmas gift tags for gift giving this year. Here are the first 9 faces for the first 9 days of September

Covid Man and Book Print

This is my tag for the current theme at Tag Tuesday - Book Print. I like using text as a background for tags and today, I reduced one of my recent line drawings and printed it on a small book page .... as you can see, the book's chapter is entitled "Of Holy Living and Dying ( from The Book of Books) . I thought this was appropriate as this 'Covid man' drawing depicts Nature happily thriving while man appears to be "unravelling " at the edges of body and mind... Original drawing - Wilma Simmons Silk screen print on fabric : Wilma Simmons Silk screen print on paper : Wilma Simmons And here are some other tags on book print backgrounds - these are free motion stitched "Nature" portraits done earlier in the year.

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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