Following the treasury images back to their various sources, I knew that I had to feature the amazing work of German doll artist, Tatjana Raum, selling as Chopoli. She crafts beautiful tiny polymer clay fairy creatures inspired by the colors and milieu of her home in Bavaria. The delicate coloring and fine textures of these brilliantly proportioned figures is second only to the vivid, lively expression in their faces.
But there's more! Her Wooden Spirits which fuse wood, bark and polymer into magical hanging or standing sculptures, are even more extraordinary and beautiful. They form the base of her art prints, but each one is hand sculpted and textured in such a way that you believe that they are portraits of the tree's Dryad, emerging from a fallen bough, perhaps searching forever for their original tree. The extreme realism of the expressions and proportions combines with the whimsy of the coloration from the natural source material. I love how there is one angle where the face is staring right into your eyes, your soul.
