She's Strung!

Despite the missing hand that's still drying and the horribly fit joints, I have to say she's coming along quite nicely.  Once I give her a good sanding and everything starts to fit snugly (which will probably take umpteen hours) I think she will be a great first try at creating my own ball jointed doll.  I can't believe she can stand on her own two feet.  I can't believe I made it to this point.  I can't wait to paint her brown!

 

 "Can you do something with this arm and my hand lady?"

 

I love the poses that you get with double joints, if I could just get them right . . .  

 

Stay tuned.....

Getting Closer!

So I'll get back to posting the 100 days of art which have turned into 240 days, I've stopped counting . . . and blogging about it, but you know me.  Creativity comes in waves and so does blogging in my case!  So I'm skipping all the stuff that I need to catch you up on and showing what I'm currently working on instead. 

Anyhoo, I am pleased to report that I have picked my doll back up and am now closer than I have ever been before.  I've been craving a new doll and my favorite artist hasn't offered a new YOSD so I've been impatiently trying to by the time until she does.  I've even contemplated buying a MSD doll, even though that's not my preference.  I have my eye on one in particular but I don't have any money to buy her, so the yearning has forced me into create mode.  Can't find one or buy one so there's nothing left but to make one and I've been doing, just that!  I started messing with her last night and I almost have all of her limbs strung together for the first time EVER!!!!  I had to patch up a few mistakes that I made because I'm heavy handed and ruined a few pieces that's why she isn't fully poseable yet, I'm waiting for her to dry so I can sand and pull her strings tightly, but here are my progress pics.

 Looks a little creepy like this, but I'm excited to have all of her limbs together... almost.  Remember last time you saw her she just had one leg?  Next time you see her she'll have a full body, all limbs intact!

 

Waiting for the balls on the feet and hands to dry so I can pull her together.  The good thing about paper clay is that I don't have to bake it, but I still have to wait for it to dry before I sand and tighten her up.  I refuse to remove the string to do all of that because I want to see her together and threading that string is . . . let's just say, a lot of cursing is involved! 

 Don't laugh at my homemade s hooks, crazy looking peanut joints, and funky hands, lol! 

This process takes so much patience and finesse, I don't know how doll artists do it.  I'm sure seeing the finished product is worth the pain, but MAN it's hard to get through the bajillion steps without wanting to pull your hair out!  Very tedious and tormenting, especially when you don't know what you're doing and you're just making it up as you go along.  What I wouldn't give to go to a workshop given by an established bjd artist who knows what they are doing!

So this girl is a very rough draft, with very amateur joints, and s hooks, and all the rest of that good stuff that I had to figure out on my own.  I have no idea what possessed me to take on a task like this, but I am pleased with myself for getting this far.  This is definitely a craft that you learn by doing.

While I was waiting for pieces to dry, I sculpted another head.  I think I might be getting a little better at that too.  Check her out.  She is another character from my graphic novel.  God help me when it comes time to sculpt her body.......

 I surprisingly got it pretty even all around for the first time and was so proud of that small feat once I cut her head open.

 I think I like her better without eyes.  I just need to find the right pair.  These are substitutes. 

Can't wait to sand her down and see the diamond under the rough.  Let's see how long this burst of creativity lasts.  

Days 40 and 41: Turtle Dee and Turtle Dove

Destiny Millie and Nadia Tillie have launched a tutu's and tee's business.  Well, not exactly, but they are plotting and scheming on one.  I over heard them talking about how much they love rocking baby tee's and tutu's.  Then one of them had the great idea to put the two together.  The next thing I knew, they pulled out the sewing machine and their sketch books!  They came up with two awesome designs that they call "Turtle Dee" and "Turtle Dove".

 

They didn't just sew their own tee shirts, oh no, they hand sewed felt appliques on their tee's of a sassy little turtle and a cute little turtle dove.  After a couple of days of brainstorming and elbow grease, these girls pulled off the cutest little looks.  They are so fashion savvy.

They are modeling around the house and begging me to open them an etsy store so they can start their own business.  Slow down girls!  You need to make more merchandise first!

They would not leave me alone until I promised to let everyone know to stay on the look out for their tutu's and tee's clothing line!  Do me a favor and send them a shout out so they know you've got their back. 

Destiny Millie:  "You know your dolls want this."

Nadia Tillie:  "Wait until they see what's next!"

Day 13: Paper Doll

My 1st paper doll!

                          

Day 9: Kali

My favorite Hindu goddess is Kali.  She's known to be the goddess of death, but she doesn't go around killing people, she brings death of the ego.  She helps us overcome the I-am-the-body idea by reinforcing the awareness that the body is a temporary condition.  It is our attachment to the body that gives rise to the ego.  Kali removes the ego and liberates the soul from the cycle of birth and death.

My fear of death seems to follow me everywhere that I go.  That's how Kali became a character in my book.  I recently stumbled across my first attempt at drawing her.  She's so beautiful in my imagination.  Naked without inhibition.  Skin so dark black that it's blue.  Hair so ferosciously wild that it has a life of it's own.  These characteristics stood out most in my head.  I started to wonder what she would look like as a teenager and came up with this drawing back in the day.

In my story, she has to have wings so I remodeled and updated her a bit using my handy dandy watersoluble crayons.  I thought since her hair is so wild and long, and has a life of it's own, it can actually form into wings!

I gave her a veil, because I figured her to be self conscious about her non traditional beauty.  She was probably an awkward teenager who didn't start off knowing what she came to know as a full grown woman about the body.  So she's modestly trying to cover up her private parts, instead of letting it all hang out.  As a young girl, she's in the process of becoming, she's not fully aware of her power and purpose yet.  So she is probably as awkward and shy as the rest of us!  At least in my mind, she is. 

She's going to make a beautiful ball jointed doll when I get around to making her.  I can't wait!  She'll be covered in jewelry from head to toe, as you can see with her awesome foot bracelets.

She has a lot to learn about herself, but an awful lot to teach.  I love this girl!  I can't wait to write her story and turn her into a doll.

She's gonna show me how to keep my third eye OPEN!