Copyright: All artwork/content protected under ©2007-2011 Lynne Ciacco

All content herein copyright © Lynne Ciacco


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Dolly Wallah

You know how it goes...you find a simple unfinished cloth doll body that has been languishing in your studio for over a year.  That same day you randomly start opening storage tins in the studio in an attempt to get rid of some stuff.  You come across some useless jewellery that you picked up heaven only knows where...and then things just sort of start to happen...



Cloth doll of fabric scraps,  second hand jewellery, yarn hair.  Approx. 14 in. x 7 in.


I named her after a fictional East Indian goddess, Anamika Devi,  found in a novel I was reading, The Selector of Souls, by Shauna Singh Baldwin.  Another day, another book, and likely she would have turned out to be another sort of doll ...or perhaps still be waiting to come into being.

Too bad I'd previously thrown out a pair of arms that had been gathering dust in a basket. Really, I should have known that one can always use a spare set of arms.
*
(There's an interesting short interview with SS Baldwin on the link I provided above, telling about her novel.)
*
Namaste

11 comments:

  1. That is so freaking cool. You get/have the most awesome stuff. Being a super pared down non-collector myself, I can really appreciate the ability to attract so much interesting "raw material" into your orbit. But, what you do with it all is a real feast. Honestly, it would be such a kick to see you in action in that studio!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love that image you imply of me being this magnetic being who attracts random objects of dubious value into my field! But I have an urge to demagnetize myself and get that pared-down way of orbiting that you embrace. But then, having all this stuff gathered and stashed offers me the chance to just "go at it" when some weird creative urge strikes, without having to waste time and energy going out into the world to shop for stuff. I think you're right, I should have a webcam set up in my studio! I'm sure it would be great comic relief for a lot of folks...and give mothers all the more reasons to tell their children not to grow up to be artists.

      Delete
  2. I LOVE your doll and the way it sort of evolved out of this and that. I believe you posted previously about dolls you had made. And the way you named her!! gives me shivers. oh and re; above comment, gosh I wish I could be super pared down. I keep trying but this stuff seems to grow in the night.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! Oh so that's where all this stuff comes from: Growing in the night when we're innocently traipsing through Slumberland! I'm trying to get rid of a lot of my "treasures" but a bit of that effort results in making new stuff from it, so not really getting rid of it at all. I think maybe that doesn't count as paring down, in the end. I'm happy that you like Anamika and how she came into being. The novel is to do with the "doing away"of girl children in India, so it's quite significant that this doll was allowed to come into being rather than thrown away as worthless scraps.

      Delete
  3. Gorgeous! I love this picture. Exquisite, good composition!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Goddesses do appreciate being referred to as gorgeous, so on behalf of Anamiki Devi, I thank you.

      Delete
  4. An amazing collage 3D! Like it !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you like her. I hadn't thought of art dolls as 3D collages but you are so right!

      Delete
  5. I like it all,...how you came to create this beauty, the wonderful name and the finished piece....exotic!
    I'm astonished at how much I toss out and yet like Suki, I wake up in the morning and there it is yet another pile or box filled with good STUFF!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't she exotic!? Maybe you'd come across her at one of your desert oasis stops.
      I like how you describe as what you find in the box as "good stuff." That's the problem isn't it--it's ALL good stuff...potentially.
      :-)

      Delete