Asian Art Figures at Auction.

It's a little cheeky, I know, but here is an online auction at Paddle 8, of Asian Art pieces that were owned by my late mother and father-in-law. These pieces were some of the art and decorative objects that my husband grew up with in his childhood home on Tower Road in Beverly Hills in the late 60's and 70's.

Both his dad, the actor James Coburn, and his mother Beverly, were in love with Asian art, especially textiles and spiritual art work. They slowly amassed a collection that they purchased on trips to South East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, as well as from local dealers. Every piece was one that they lived with and enjoyed in their home.

The artist and designer Tony Duquette was a personal friend and designed the interior of the home as well as creating a number of custom works - including the very unusual Bird of Paradise sculpture that is part of the auction.

Of some interest to doll lovers, included in the auction are a pair of cool antique carved wooden figures from India. Around 4 feet tall, their hair and costumes are painted directly, in trompe l'oeil style, including the jewelry and trims.

Also included is an amazing vintage articulated wood snake from Japan. I've held this one, and it is amazing how carved wood can be so extraordinarily flexible and fluid. It's really very beautiful and unusual.

There are several Indian paintings in different media, including a gouache on paper of a couple in a sumptuous room. The details of the textiles are beautiful.

The auction is happening now, but is only for a limited time - until October 24th.
Please share!

Aware of Areaware

The catalog of Areaware includes some really cool wooden toys, including a modular slot together Cube Robot that is very cute. They can be painted, and look interesting posed in groups of bright colors. Also available, beautiful smoothly carved wooden animals.

In another are of the catalog are printed monochrome photos of animals on small pillows in different sizes. These are sold as toys or home decor.

Boxcar Fair

OK, they have all their funding, but you can still be part of something wonderful.

Here is another amazing puppetry and film art project from Kickstarter. The project is awesomely cool, as are the artists participating. There is a nice video summary showing some of the automata in action.

The puppets are from the mind and hands of Tom Haney. You don't want to miss these. Many of the gallery items have quicktime movies of the delicate, whimsical motion. Click on the most recent figurative vignettes in the portfolio to find work in progess shots, interior workings and design sketches. (Love seeing other artists' processes!)

Brigitte Doerner

This is the web portal to the fascinating world of a puppet maker and doll artist, Brigitte B. Doerner of Czech Republic. There are links to blogs and etsy - but the most interesting part is the step by step photo essay detailing the carving of a marionette. Be sure to follow the Projects links.

John Frame exhibit

Showing until June 20 at Huntington Library in Pasadena, CA is "Three Fragments of a Lost Tale" - figurative sculptures and carved wooden and mixed media puppet/dolls by artist John Frame. At the website is an 8 minute film of the artist at work including some stop motion segments. The scale of the figures is tiny, so the sculpting is even more remarkable especially jointed fingers. He sews costumes and incorporates metal armatures and acrylic/glass eyes.

Also interesting are segments showing John Frame gathering natural materials and using mud and dirt to color and stain wood for the figures and scenic elements.

Incredibly beautiful and thought provoking.

Chopoli breathtaking

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.

Mixed media to the max

I was browsing at the Recycled Art Dolls Flikr site and I found Lisa Rupp's repurposed and recycled dolls and dogs - Mixed Media Max. I love mixed media and found object art in general. I like the sheen many of these old wood pieces have, as well as the humor of the faces. You can buy her sculptures from her Etsy store.

Want to move to Blue Hill?

First post of the new year! With new work, time got away from me over the holidays, so I missed doing my usual holiday Etsy round up. Sorry about that. I'll do one in honor of Winter in the next few days.

In the mean time I hope you will enjoy the whimsical mixed media figurative sculptures of Laura Balombini. She uses kiln fired porcelain, polymer clay, wire and wood, and creates surface interest with glass and ceramic mosaics. Many figures are animated. Small birds are a repeating motif.

Ms. Balombini is currently selling her home and studio in Maine. It looks like a beautiful spot. As an urban apartment dweller I am very envious of a separate studio space as well as all the green.

Bell Carves

High school woodworking teacher and fine doll artist, Floyd Bell carves beautifully proportioned wooden dolls, then dressed in finely made fabric clothing. Often intricately jointed, some are ethnic figures, others are portraits of historical or contemporary celebrities, still others are carved baby dolls of walnut or alder wood. Floyd is a member of both NIADA and ODACA.

Nesting Dollmakers

The Russian Matryoshka Doll industry is in big trouble. Discussions of this industry were part of an item on the recession in Eastern Europe on "The World" on NPR. I listen to KPCC in Los Angeles. The hand made dolls were described by one of the artists.



The cottage industry was one of Russia's saviours in the 1990's, but now the many, many crafters employed are hoping for a government bailout/stimulus package.



This is big news in Russia, but there is apparently a bit of cynicism about whether the government will come through. (Picture from the Saint Petersburg Times.)

Wood sculpture

Today, April 24th is Arbor Day.

Not a doll maker, but a figurative sculptor in wood - I have enjoyed browsing around the website of artist Stefanie Rocknak. Her work-in-progress pictures are very interesting, seeing the figure emerge.

Vintage Pop

Working closely with 1960's pop art designer Alexander Girard, was doll maker Marilyn Neuhart. Her vintage plush pillow dolls feature screen printing and hand embroideries. They are very bright and vivid. Visuals of Girard's work are on show here. He also designed colorful graphically painted wooden dolls.

Carved Wood and a village to visit.

Erika Catellani is a Swiss doll maker who works in wood, carving and painting adorable children from maple. Their clothes are adorable too.

Many of Erika's dolls are available from Little Princess Frocks, an interesting online store that is an outlet for many collectible doll makers, as well as assorted antique and vintage dolls and accessories. Be sure to click on the Village link, and visit some of the locations there. Fun stuff.

Lotz of Carved Dolls

Here is a great collector's resource, that could lead to hours of happy reading. Lotz Doll Pages form a comprehensive collection of great information about carved dolls of all kinds, vintage and new and of all nations. I particularly enjoyed reading about Chinese Dolls of Hope which have a sweet quality about them.

All Wood

How adorable are these? Pecanpals. They are made from painted wood with articulated limbs, in very limited editions, and hail from Carrara Island in the Pacific Ocean, a place of some mystery. They all have names and stories, oh yes they do.

Khatiti Fine Art

Angela Briggs is a doll maker working with traditional African folk art forms in cloth, wood and other natural materials. I'm sorry to be missing her children's doll making workshop at the Huntington Gardens today.

Carved

In my search for off the beaten path dollmakers, I came across a doll and marionette maker who carves her doll's heads from hardwoods like Maple and Manzanita root. Debi Knight Kennedy also makes found object dolls, and performs with some of her puppets in Alaska.

They're watching you

These dolls made by Jessica Acosta are some of my favorite dolls, and an ingenious use of clothespins. I love them. I love their personalities, I love how their eyes follow you, I love the teeny props, I love the delicacy of the line work and the soft coloring on their faces. Jessica makes polymer clay dolls too. Did I mention that I love 'em?

Kokeshi dolls

I started sketching ideas for these little cuties before I knew what they were. It seems they are an ancient tradition in Japan, being reinterpreted by modern sensibilities like many other cool Japanese crafts and visual motifs.Kokeshi Designs has a nice historical overview, as does the Wikipedia entry.

Meanwhile on Etsy, Temple 7e sells his turned and painted ones. I think my favorite might be the Boba Fett.


My friend Kat, also sells a sweet, tiny version called Shakespeare people in her Etsy store, Kats-in-the-Belfry.