Tis the Season!

I missed last weeks blog post because I've been a busy little bee. I recently received a commission to make a pair of dolls for the same lovely couple that I had previously made dolls for. I also have a magazine assignment that I was working on at the same time. I have to learn to manage my "free" time with my "work" time. I was able to do my assignments on time, but I didn't make any to keep my blog up to date.

Anyway, the call came in to make a pair of whimsical dolls of mom and dad, and include all the kids, too. From the information I received about the recipients, they seemed like pretty swell people. Silly, fun and lighthearted. So that's how I wanted to represent them in doll fashion. They are also Oregon Ducks fans, so I worked the team's colors into dad's Hawaiian shirt.

The four "kids" are represented by tiny Ducks, but I changed the appearance of each kid "Duck" based on personality cues I got from my client.

Rough draft sketch

Body part layout plan.

Mid-painting process shot.

Cut out and assembled.

Final version with everyone assembled and arranged on the background.

Duck detail.

Final. Complete with smudgy fingerprint (that was hopefully removed before delivery)
I found this great shadowbox at Craft Warehouse. I really like the
color of the stain on the wood. Originally, my fiance was planning
to make a shadowbox from scratch for this project, but we're still in
the planning and designing stages. He didn't want to give my client
a shadowbox that he wasn't proud of.

I have a couple of ideas floating around for some dolls as a personal project, but something I'd love to share with others. But first I have to finish another paying gig. A creative girl could totally get used to this! I love that I feel like I'm being a productive person, and although, I'm not raking in a ton of dough, it's enabling me to be able to purchase supplies, which continue to allow me to create!

These last handfull of doll projects have really motivated me to put myself out there for custom portrait dolls. I've always been a little hesitant to offer portrait-based dolls because I'm really finicky when it comes to portraits. I want the image I'm creating to look EXACTLY like the person it's supposed to be. But with cartoony style drawings, there's a little more leeway when it comes to resemblance. What do you think?

Dolls Galore!

I promised that I would share the doll that sparked a mass commission fest for me. I did it as a gift because my friend Evan is a great small business owner, loves what he does and inspired me to take my love of art and work toward opening a brick and mortar store in Vancouver. While life has me tied down right now, I'm in the serious planning stages for this venture. Anyway, Evan is a great guy and has been commissioning me like crazy. I can't complain!

So here he is:

I don't have any photos of his rough sketches, but here's his final body part layout before I started painting.

Painted and cut and ready to be assembled!

Paper chosen, body assembled and doggies applied!

Final.

Another angle before they go in a frame.

Here he is with his pups in their frame.

We (I say "we" in the sense of my fiance and I) are attempting to make shadowboxes by hand for this next commission I'm working on. I think making them ourselves is a great way to keep everything handmade and lets us work together. He's excited about working with his hands, which then makes me more excited to work. I love partnerships!

Un-Valentines

The boy and I SAY we don't celebrate Valentines day, but we do in our own, lazy fashion.

We try to make it a point to leave notes and tell each other how much we care as often as possible. While I like the sentiment behind the "holiday", I don't think anyone should spoil their loved one on a single day. It should happen as often as possible.

I also don't like how commercialized that it's become (or may have always been). Making people feel bad if they don't drop a pretty penny on some material object, cheap candy or flowers that will die.

But I used it as an excuse to make something for my love. Well, because that's just the way it works.

I was just going to pop in to the thrift store to see what kind of books they had. I had an idea to hollow out a book and turn it into a frame. But after looking through what they had, I wasn't impressed.
Until I looked at their murder-mystery section. I happened upon a book called "Heartsick" and while the title was timely, I didn't think it was appropriate. Next to it was "Sweetheart" and the lightbulb went off over my head. This was PERFECT.

I made the mistake of checking out frames while I was there (as I'm wont to do) and found some cute little shadowboxes. They weren't the size I wanted for the heart project, but something told me to buy them. I paced back and forth trying to decide. The shadowboxes are only about 3x3 and that's a bit small for what I had in mind.

I said "screw it" and bought the two boxes, the book and a cheap plastic Baroque-looking frame.

I haven't had a lot of time to do personal projects, so I had to start on this on Friday while the boy was at work. But I was carving the pages out while he was downstairs cooking on Saturday. Needless to say, the pages didn't cut straight because the book was so thick. Perfect for my project, not so good for cutting straight (I can't even draw a straight line).

I finally finished while he was playing Call of Duty across the room from him. It was anticlimactic, but I really liked making it.

Just a book

Unassuming

SHAZAM!

I really like how the heart came out.
I'd use this paper for my thesis, if it
weren't so hard to cut.

For my sweetheart.

Keep an eye out, I'm totally into making some of these to share with the world.