Molly Cottontail

The inspiration for this rabbit

came from an Easter card

I found at

The Graphics Fairy.

I loved the idea of a grey bunny

with a pink gingham dress.

I love the hat

and the pink striped socks

and little black shoes.

Now, Molly here is a toddler bunny,

and mine are a little older than that

so I made the dress

more suitable for a big girl.

First,

painting the body grey.

This gristly image

is the body drying outside

between sandings.

After being painted and sanded

I glued on the head

and shoulder plate.

I know.

Awkward!

A lined and fitted bodice.

A full skirt.

Little white collar.

Tucks along the hem.

And the dress is finished!

 It has a wide sash

at the back,

and white daisies

on the collar and cuffs.

And it's perfect

for playing dolls,

on long Summer days

in the meadow.

Shared on
The Graphics Fairy
Brag Monday.

The Return of the Return of Doll Maker on Thursday!

Well, hello there!

This is a 

Double Feature!

(Please note, 

these aren't my photographs.

They're Georgina's.

I wish I could take photos as nice as this!)

(PS, see that fab hat?

It's available here.)

This lovely creature

is Georgina.

And Georgina is a doll maker

I've been following for quite some time.

She makes gorgeous dolls,

from the sweet Claude here.,

to the fantastically exotic

and ethereal

Demonette.

Georgina's dolls

challenge our notions of

a doll's anatomy.

This is Spoilt Claudia,

an Aracna doll,

with a spider's many eyes

and a spider's eight limbs.

Here she is as a

 work-in-progress.

Spider legs and all those eyes.

And here she is completed,

with her surprisingly sweet pout

and dreamy gaze.

All Georgina's dolls

are beautifully photographed,

and seem to inhabit

a glamorous environment

where they are completely at home.

Here is The Faun

as a WIP.

Here she is,

lounging by candlelight.

I love photographs of dolls held in the hand,

so here is the Faun again.

Georgina has given her

delicately fluffy and convincing faun legs

and graceful, elegant arms.

The dolls' bizarre bodies

and exotic faces

are complemented

by exquisite costumes

and ornate accessories.

Here, a flowing pink gown

contrasts with the avian face/mask.

Another doll-in-the-hand shot.

This is the Sleeping Demon.

The Sleeping Demon

has an intricate

bronze headpiece

and is otherwise naked,

showing her jointed limbs 

Here are her beautifully sculpted teeth

in what is possibly 

the nicest photo ever

of a doll's teeth.

Georgina's work is always fascinating

and I truly enjoy the way her figures

push the boundaries

of what we find beautiful

in a doll.

I think her dolls deserve 

to be better known.

Find her dolls

in her Etsy shop,

Nevermore Dolls.

Find Georgina on facebook.

Her blog.

A doll for a doll.

The problem with making

 a doll

for a doll

is that the doll

needs to look like a doll

when it's held by the doll.

Follow me?

Good.

Here is the doll 

for a doll.

She still needs her apron

but she's nearly done.

Does she look like a doll?

All right, then.

Here is the doll

(very unfinished)

holding her doll.

Excuse horrible flash photography.

Does she look happy

with her doll?

If she looks happy

with her doll

then 

I'm happy

with her doll.

Rhissanna

Who am I?

Well, who am I?

Does this help?

How about the striped stockings?

Got it yet?

How about if I add a little hair band?

Yes!

That's right!

Well done!

Now I just need some clothes!

Repaint

The crucifix is all finished,

painted and varnished 

and reassembled.

Here are the compare-and-contrast photos.

I was surprised at how useful

doll making was for this project.

After painting several coats of 

acrylic paint,

I used powdered pastels

brushed into the hollows

to bring out the sculptural depth.

Painted detail on the face.

And I got it all finished before Sunday!

Help a fellow Artist!

I have a friend on 

Deviant Art,

Rose Tursi

who makes amazing 

steampunk paraphernalia

(I have one of her fab Steampunk  rings)

and paints really charming and quirky images.

Like this anxious

Balloon Twisting Porcupine.

Or the gently humorous

Angler Fish with Reading Light

She's about to break out on her own,

making cards from her paintings

and I thought I'd 

give her a leg up

and post her Indiegogo page.

Go and visit, every little helps.

 Share, if you can.

In doll news,

Mistress Melinda is coming along.

But I think she'd like me to hurry it up.

Big project.

After restoring the

Infant of Prague

I was asked to make some alterations

to a large wall crucifix

 that hangs in a dark corner.

This is it hanging on my white wall.

It's a lovely piece

but with a dark oak cross 

and a bronze finish figure

it's pretty much invisible

where it hangs in the church.

The figure itself is beautifully modelled

with a lovely faux bronze patina.

I know this because I've had to restore this figure before

when he lost a thumb and some fingers,

and I had to match the paint finish.

This time,

I'm going to try to make him look like

a traditional carved and painted figure

as I don't think St Mary's has one.

It's a modern-ish building and most of the 

figures have a Mid-Century feel.

This is the first coat.

Sidestepping the loaded argument about

Christ's ethnicity

I've gone for a colour that's 

light enough to be seen in a dark corner

and will provide a contrast to the dark hair

and not be pink.

I'm not painting Jesus Piano Baby pink!

He really is beautifully sculpted

and the lighter colour shows the detail.

I hope to have him finished 

and back in place by

next Sunday.

I do feel privileged that 

the church trusts me with its

valuable and sacred figures.

In other news,

Steampunk Rabbit

is finished!

Have some pictures!

Firstly, the 

Top Hat.

Feathers and lace.

Steam GPS compass.

Fully functioning antennae.

The veil can either be tucked up,

or pulled under the chin for a riding hat effect.

Like this.

Here she is

sans hat,

reading her notes.

I hope Spring has finally come to wherever you are.

Unless you're Antipodean,

whereupon,

 I hope you're having a wonderful Autumn.

Hugs,

Rhissanna

She knows if you've been bad or good

Progress on my

wicked boudoir doll. 

More of the boots,

now with faux stockings.

The heels have a

cocktail stick armature

with paperclay 

and more paperclay for the sole.

I was worried about it cracking 

or flexing away from the fabric

but it all seems pretty secure.

Now she has hair 

(dirty blonde!)

and a face

and a name.

Melinda.

You'll address her as Mistress, however.

The stockings are made from tulle

with  seams at the back.

They'll have suspenders 

(Garter belt?)

and little garters.

I've finally worked out how to make the face 

with no center seam over the mouth,

which does make the lips easier to paint.

And I'd better get back to work

or I'm going to be in trouble.