 Here's a peek into my studio, what's happening right now....His eyes are important. He is wise beyond his years and his third eye can see beyond the present world. A big doll is in the works, bigger than any I ever made before. I will be sharing glimpses of him as he progresses. Several doll making workshops that are coming up in the month of April at the Smith Center for Healing and Arts, at Arlington Parks and Recreation and another workshop for creative arts professionals, also in Arlington. For a preview about these workshops, check out my workshop webpage. Where to find Erika and her dolls over the next months:  Two of my dolls, "Shedding the Old"and "Shedding the Old II" are in this show at the Target Gallery, in Alexandria, VA. There will be a reception and juror talk on Thursday, February 12th from 6 to 8 PM. The talk is at 7. It's ironic that these dolls in particular are about vulnerability, because they mirror my own feelings of vulnerability of being in the public eye. And yet I am so honored to be among a wonderful and gifted group of artists. If you're local, I'd love to see you there. Here's what the juror, Jeff Huntington, says about the show: “Before expression, there is nothing but a vague fever, and only the work itself, completed and understood, will prove that there was something rather than nothing to be found there.” – Maurice Merleau-Ponty "... My goal in selecting work for In the Flesh 5 was to assemble a cohesive, thought-provoking body of work demonstrating a broad range of mediums, approaches and conceptual ideas. ... Out of 161 entries, 22 final selections were made. "As I took to the task of whittling down, I considered the initial visual impact of the work without knowledge of its title, medium, dimensions, and creator. Certain pieces elicited in me an instant visceral reaction, or a “vague fever”: curiosity, discomfort, and/or enjoyment.... "During this process, a thread began to emerge. The selected works, through varied mediums and interpretations, whether overt or figurative in meaning, evoke a sense of flesh, physicality, or different ideas about human presence. The final decisions were what I considered to be successful interpretations of the theme and a body of work that collectively invites curiosity." You can read his entire statement on theTarget Gallery webpage.  If you're a very close reader because this page is a bit hard to find, you may remember an earlier image of the first of four dolls in my Medicine Doll series. Back then, I didn't know if I would ever finish it. Well, this doll is in the works. It's at least four feet tall now and looking very different. Here is another sneak peek, of his hand, very over-sized.
Children often exaggerate the parts of the body that they are becoming aware of in their life at the time-heads, hands and feet are often hugely out of proportion to the rest of the body. And parts of bodies are used to artistic and practical effect in the art of regions such as Mexico, where "milagros" (meaning "miracle") or metal reproductions of body parts are placed onto altars for healing. This doll has special powers in his hands. I wish I had a picture to share with you what one little girl did when she came into the studio as I was working on him. She climbed right in between his arms, responding to the welcome he extends to all. I worked on him most recently in Studio 27 at the Torpedo Factory.
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ErikaI've been making dolls for about ten years now. I believe that dolls serve as representations and reminders of the best part of ourselves. I am excited to share with you here my learnings about new methods and techniques for doll making and healing. So glad you are here! Categories |
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