To find out more...
The video on my main gallery page of my solo exhibit, "There, There: Healing Dolls as Solace in an Off Kilter World," January through March of 2019 shows some of my most recent dolls. The video tells the story of many of my dolls in detail and helps you to see them in three dimensions. Several of the dolls have sold. I have tried to note in the gallery which dolls are no longer available.
You can also find me on Instagram and on Facebook. I tend to post daily on Instagram with updates about my dolls, posting progress photos and notes about what I am thinking about in my studio.
You can also find me on Instagram and on Facebook. I tend to post daily on Instagram with updates about my dolls, posting progress photos and notes about what I am thinking about in my studio.
Original Rhea, Shedding the Old, sculptural needle felted, 2013. No longer available.
Rhea: Shedding the Old
This doll is about that stage in the process of transformation when we have shed the skin of old habits and behaviors and are left naked and vulnerable, yet in excited anticipation of what is to come. You can read more about her on my healing journey page. NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
This doll is about that stage in the process of transformation when we have shed the skin of old habits and behaviors and are left naked and vulnerable, yet in excited anticipation of what is to come. You can read more about her on my healing journey page. NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
Rhea III, Shedding the Old, Sculptural needle felted, 20 x 20 x 10, 2018.
Rhea, Shedding the Old III
Here is a more recent version of Rhea: Shedding the Old. This one was created in 2018.
Gypsy Polly: True Beauty Lies Within, Sculptural needle felted and soft sculpture, 12 x 8 1/2 x 8, 2013.
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Gypsy Polly: True Beauty Lies Inside
Gypsy Polly has a kind of interesting story. I started to make her as part of a soft sculpture doll class I was taking with Pamela Hastings, a wonderful doll-maker and teacher. Polly doll combines a number of influences. I have been fascinated recently with the many armed gods and goddesses in the Indian pantheon. To me the many arms represent the richness of life, all the ways we reach out and grab at life, so I knew I wanted her to have many arms. She has six. At first I wanted this doll's face to be beautiful but the more I worked on her, the less she looked like the idealized beauty that I had imagined. Many tears were shed in the creation of this doll with the intense emotions that she evoked. It wasn't until I embraced her appearance and let her look the way she wanted to, that she became the gypsy wise woman that you see here. I honored her strength and her regal qualities with golden arms, richly patterned fabrics and beautiful earrings. Her wild red hair speaks to her wild spirit. |
Lackschmi: There Lives a Dearest Freshness Deep Down Things, Sculptural needle felted and mixed media, 2013.
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Lackshmi: There Lives a Dearest Freshness Deep Down Things
My fascination with the wild Indian goddesses with their many arms, includes Lackshmi, the goddess of wealth and charisma. She holds coins in one hand to represent infinite wealth, a conch in another hand to symbolize communication and a lotus in another hand for peace and stillness. Her front two hands are held together in prayer. But this doll also represents my fascination and continued exploration through doll-making of the image from the Christian tradition of Mary Miseracordia, who holds all her followers in the folds of the skirt beneath her. Here Lackshmi (echoing this aspect of Mary), holds a representation of the male God Shiva under her skirt. I see the male God also as the male side that all women contain within them, their strength, power and wisdom. NO LONGER AVAILABLE |
Gaia and Ernst: Innocence and Wisdom, Sculptural needle felted and soft sculpture. 17 x 14 x 12, 2013.
Gaia and Ernst: Innocence and Wisdom
Gaia and Ernst came from a similar inspiration to Lackshmi. Gaia or earth mother, holds Ernst, a male spirit under her skirt. He represents her people. They both contain innocence and wisdom.
Gaia and Ernst came from a similar inspiration to Lackshmi. Gaia or earth mother, holds Ernst, a male spirit under her skirt. He represents her people. They both contain innocence and wisdom.
Mothers and Daughters, Fishers of Women, Sculptural needle felted and mixed media, 15 x 13 x 11, 2014.
Mothers and Daughters: Fishers of Women
These dolls started, as many of my dolls do, as an image of the ways in which mothers and daughters relate to each other. I saw the mother and daughter, each holding a fishing rod and each fishing from within the other's open heart area.
Somehow in this version of the dolls, the opening is lower down, more in the area of the womb. To be honest, the original idea was more about the challenging nature of the mother daughter relationship. But once the dolls were in front of me, as so often happens, I saw something else there.
I saw the openness that can exist as part of a healthy mother daughter relationship. Each is open to the other. Each is inspired by what she sees in the other. Each allows herself to be open enough to allow the other to receive what she has within. The mini dolls surrounding each doll represent the richness of their individuality, all the aspects of the self.
These dolls started, as many of my dolls do, as an image of the ways in which mothers and daughters relate to each other. I saw the mother and daughter, each holding a fishing rod and each fishing from within the other's open heart area.
Somehow in this version of the dolls, the opening is lower down, more in the area of the womb. To be honest, the original idea was more about the challenging nature of the mother daughter relationship. But once the dolls were in front of me, as so often happens, I saw something else there.
I saw the openness that can exist as part of a healthy mother daughter relationship. Each is open to the other. Each is inspired by what she sees in the other. Each allows herself to be open enough to allow the other to receive what she has within. The mini dolls surrounding each doll represent the richness of their individuality, all the aspects of the self.
Your Power is Within, Sculptural needle felted, 18 x 12 x 7, 2015.
Your Power is Within
This doll, all sculptural needle felted, is the first created at the Torpedo Factory. He is a satyr, a mythical creature who shows up in various cultures, representing that mischievous side of our nature, the side of our nature that tests things, is provocative and at times even dangerous. In other words, he isn't always seen as a positive force. I choose, though, to see him as a challenger, someone who upsets the status quo, who is gives you a push to go beyond your comfort level.
The purple, green and red lines and arrows on his body represent the different energies of the body, some would call them chakras. The purple energy coming out of his head represents the crown energy, this highest spiritual energy and also the third eye energy having to do with intuition and inner wisdom and the throat energy having to do with expression. The red lines come up from the root and extend down through the feet into the ground. They connect also to the heart where they branch out into the green heart energy. This represents the open and unconditional love of the heart.
Overall, he gives the message that our power comes from within.
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
This doll, all sculptural needle felted, is the first created at the Torpedo Factory. He is a satyr, a mythical creature who shows up in various cultures, representing that mischievous side of our nature, the side of our nature that tests things, is provocative and at times even dangerous. In other words, he isn't always seen as a positive force. I choose, though, to see him as a challenger, someone who upsets the status quo, who is gives you a push to go beyond your comfort level.
The purple, green and red lines and arrows on his body represent the different energies of the body, some would call them chakras. The purple energy coming out of his head represents the crown energy, this highest spiritual energy and also the third eye energy having to do with intuition and inner wisdom and the throat energy having to do with expression. The red lines come up from the root and extend down through the feet into the ground. They connect also to the heart where they branch out into the green heart energy. This represents the open and unconditional love of the heart.
Overall, he gives the message that our power comes from within.
NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Gurudevi, Guardian doll, Mixed media, 25 x 18 x 17, 2012.
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Gurudevi, Guardian doll
Gurudevi is a guide. She contains elements of sky and earth in one. Her bird head (sky) and snake symbols (earth) are united by the chakras that run up her spine. The crystals that hang below the bird head, dangle above the wearer who attaches her by the straps over the shoulders. The crystals symbolize clarity and light. |
Taming the Dragon Within, Soft sculpture, sculptural needle felted and mixed media, 14 x 9 x 24, 2014.
Taming the Dragon Within
This soft sculpture dragon doll with a sculptural needle felted figure attached is about the struggle to manage inner and outer demons. The figure in front has found the courage to tame her inner dragon, so that she is now an ally rather than a source of fear. Details on the side of the dragon, under the two wings and on the neck depict the scary forces that had to be overcome. Under one wing is a snake studded Medusa head. The Roman goddess Medusa turns those to stone who dare to look at her directly. Under the other wing is a "trail of tears." A Native American "trickster" character climbs up the side of the dragon's neck.
This soft sculpture dragon doll with a sculptural needle felted figure attached is about the struggle to manage inner and outer demons. The figure in front has found the courage to tame her inner dragon, so that she is now an ally rather than a source of fear. Details on the side of the dragon, under the two wings and on the neck depict the scary forces that had to be overcome. Under one wing is a snake studded Medusa head. The Roman goddess Medusa turns those to stone who dare to look at her directly. Under the other wing is a "trail of tears." A Native American "trickster" character climbs up the side of the dragon's neck.
Tumnus but Not a Faun, Sculptural needle felted and mixed media, 50 x 22 x 32, 2015.
Tumnus but not a Faun
Tumnus but not a Faun is the final version of the healer doll, that took two years to make! He is needle felted with lots of other techniques integrated as well. His cape has wet felted images that tell the story of a place where nuns collect tears that are purified in the pools that run along the edges of his cloak and on the other side of the cloak is an image of people coming to receive healing from the purified tears. On his back is an image of Rhea, shedding the old. On his belly are two versions of the tree of life. It has twelve balls of light, one on the tree and one in the roots.
Tumnus but not a Faun is the final version of the healer doll, that took two years to make! He is needle felted with lots of other techniques integrated as well. His cape has wet felted images that tell the story of a place where nuns collect tears that are purified in the pools that run along the edges of his cloak and on the other side of the cloak is an image of people coming to receive healing from the purified tears. On his back is an image of Rhea, shedding the old. On his belly are two versions of the tree of life. It has twelve balls of light, one on the tree and one in the roots.
