Recreating your favorite selections from the Feminist Paper Doll Project

I had a request a week or two ago to recreate a doll from the Feminist Paper Doll Project for someone who wanted to purchase it.  Of course, with the caveats that there would be differences in the papers and hardware used as well as other slight variations.  This recreated doll was purchased though my Etsy Shop, InventingTrees.  The doll requested was of Kathe Kollwitz who was the selection for March 24, 2013.

 The image above is the doll that will stay in my collection of Feminist Paper Dolls.  I am not quite certain as to what I am doing with these pieces yet and I feel the need to keep them together.

This doll above is the recreated doll for the requesting party.  I kept the feel of the doll intact but was able to make alterations to the hinging on the arms and the placement of the hands- both elements that bothered me about the original doll.  Also, added was a pewter heart which was absent (not sure why) from a whole slew of dolls during March 2013.  I think it turned out well.  And I believe that my requester was happy.

Interesting that my patron did not know that the dolls move.  Most of the gromits and brads are points on the doll that offer movement.  Although I do fix some elements to be stationary, all the dolls in the Feminist Paper Doll Project move.  They can be positioned like a puppet and are similar in constrution to a shadow puppet than a traditional paper doll.  Below is a vid-clip of me moving the legs and arms for the Bridget Sojourner paper doll.

If you would like to purchase a recreation of one of my Feminist Paper Dolls, you can send me a convo via my Etsy shop.  Here's the link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/InventingTrees

Enjoy!

Opening your mouth only when birds can fly

green kimono

I am marrying my husband again.  We have not gotten unmarried, we are just getting married again.  Like going to see a favorite movie again, because it was so wonderful the first time.  Like eating your favorite pie again.  Like a morning cup of coffee.  Like painting.  Like breathing.  Marrying him again because he makes me giddy.

 I am younger than I was when I first married him.  He glows, I blush and many people have come to celebrate with us.  We have a long thick wooden table set in our living room.  There are many spaces and soon the people will fill in the seats.

I wear a green kimono with a cherry blossoms and trees along the bottom.  My husband also wears a dark blue kimono.  We sit at the table and a distant relative comes to our house to congratulate us.  The women have a young girl that they say we must have. They are scared and excited.  They say we must hurry.  We must take the girl, we must hide her first.  We must hurry to the magistrates to get married again NOW.

They hide the little girl in the men’s bathroom.  I am nervous.  They carry the girl to the men’s room and place her in one of the toilets.  Little round boys lift the heavy porcelain water vessels and show the girl that she can hide.  I fear that there is not enough water removed and that she will drown.  I do not know why they need her to hide.  I tell my husband that we must hurry to get married again and cannot wait for all the guests.  I fear for the little girl in the water tank.

We go quickly to the magistrate’s.  My husband is told to place his finger prints on a slate tablet.  He swipes his fingers down the tablet and then places a finger print above each finger swipe.  I move around to the same side of the table as my husband.  It is my turn to place my prints on the slate tablet.  I place my fingers in the ink then slide my fingers down the slate.  The magistrate scolds me and tells me to make individual prints on the slate.  Small splashes of ink platter on my kimono and on my husband’s dark blue kimono. 

Once our prints are done, the magistrate says that we are married.  I am happy.  I joyfully kiss my husband.  He smells sweet.  I love him.  I pull him away to find the little girl.  I worry over finding her.  So does my husband.

We find the girl.  She is in the cistern filled only half of water.  She is wet and cold and scared.  She grabs on to us and we wrap her in a blanket.  We are safe.

Deer Child

Deer Child 
watercolor, pastel, pencil, acrylic and crayon on paper
38" x 42"

Dr. Goodweather's Dreaming Attic: A Neo-Surrealist Show at Mayo Street Arts in Portland Maine

Gathering
mixed media on paper
42" x 60"

 Hey kids.  I will be part of a really amazing show opening on Friday April 4, 2014.  Visual artists, musical artists, performing artists, artists artists artists...all working within the realm of the dream world.

Art by Andrew Abbott, Seth Dussault, John "Sighless" Supinski, Kevin Gallagher, William Hessian, Baxter Koziol, Gabrielle McGuire, Abbeth Russell and me...

Live music by Wes Covey (The Ten Thousand Things) and Laughing Animal. 

Mayo Street Arts is at 10 Mayo Street in Portland, Maine...permformance starts at 5 and ends at 8.  An artist talk will take place on Saturday, April 5 at 11 am.  You should go... it will be fun.

More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/545443118887765/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Honey Dreaming
watercolor on paper
15" x 22"