Over the years I've been asked many times if I keep any of my Wisdom Keeper Art Doll creations, and if it is hard putting them up for sale because of a sense of attachment.
To the first part of the question...I keep very few of my creations. I could probably count on one hand the number of Wisdom Keepers I have kept in my realm. The ones that I have kept marked a significance for me, symbolic of growth as an artist or growth as a woman. Do I have favorites? Yes, but they change over time like my own sense of being.
One Wisdom Keeper that I have kept holds a special place in my heart, although I have to say I don't even quite remember the name I titled her with. To me she represented Magic, the magic and beauty of being a woman, being able to manifest, and a sense of whimsy. While many of my art dolls could reflect that same thing, this one was different....she had Toes ! 10 glorious toes !As an amputee, this was special to me because as I created each toe and painted the nails, it was as if I was doing so for myself.
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| Clay Sculpted Art Doll by Jeanne Fry |
While I love each of the art dolls for their own special attributes and what their symbolism means to me, I don't feel a great sense of attachment for I feel that their being is meant for someone else to begin with.
Another Wisdom Keeper that was special to me was my first commissioned piece. I have to say that creating a commissioned art doll is far more gratifying and special, because during that creative process I feel that I am connecting energetically with the recipient, and the Wisdom Keeper itself holds something far more amazing.
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| Crow Goddess - Wisdom Keeper Art Doll by Jeanne Fry |
I was in love with the Crow Goddess, as she just embodied a sense of peace, wisdom, and mystique.
When I began creating the Art Dolls with Gourd and Clay, my creativity went wild. I love working with those mediums and found that the ways I could "play" were endless. My senses evolved, feeling like the Cloth and Clay art dolls were symbolic of inward processes and soul work, and the Gourd and Clay art dolls were more reflective of our outward projections of being a woman. In a sense they reflected the symbolism of the new moon and the full moon; the contrasts of the vibrant dancing singing woman of the full moon vs. the quiet reflective poetic woman of the new moon.
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| The Storyteller Gourd Wisdom Keeper Art Doll by Jeanne Fry |
The "Storyteller" was one of the first Gourd creations, her meaning so special to me, of the importance of passing on the stories and history.
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| Ecstasy in Motion - Gourd Art Doll by Jeanne Fry |
I then began to explore working with the fluidity of motion within the art dolls. This truly changed something in me as an artist, bringing a sense of deeper connection.
But no matter the medium or style of creative process, each Wisdom Keeper carries a sense of reverence of being a woman and it is that feeling that I ultimately wish to share with others.
Someone asked, if one of the Wisdom Keepers were "you', which one would it be?
As an artist I am sure that there is a piece of me within every art doll, but I suppose the one that most reflects how I feel inside......
Peace and Love,
Jeanne
