Selu the Corn Mother - Gourd and Clay Art Doll Sculpture

This week I was inspired to create Selu, in honor of our upcoming show this weekend, The Selugadu Festival. Each year the Hagood Mill Historic Site and Folklife Center  holds this festival in November for Native American month.

Selu is known as the Corn Mother, or First Woman of the Cherokee. In legend, she was the First Woman who came to be when emerging from a corn stalk.

She represents the Feminine, Agriculture, Sustenance, the Ability to provide for oneself, and Preserving the ways of the People.

I sculpted her from Gourd and Clay which is attached to a wooden base. The trunk of her body is painted like multi colored corn. When sculpting her face, I wanted to bring a sense of balance between Strength, Wisdom, and that of a Mother. She is emerging from dried corn husks.

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Tending the Sacred Fire ~ The Spirituality of Sculpture

Tending the Sacred Fire is a new Gourd and Clay Sculpture by Jeanne Fry. 

"The Sisters take their responsibility of tending their sacred fire with great care. Each step, thought, and movement are focused on their intentions and prayers. They carry with them the wisdom of the women before them, carrying on tradition for those who will come after them."

In this artwork, I used as much care in choosing the elements of the sculpture, as the two sisters in the story. I wanted to capture the essence of their spirituality and use Earth element symbolism. 

The sisters are sculpted from gourd and clay. Acrylics of periwinkle blue, greys, and burnt umber were used to represent a soothing sense gathered from being in balance with the Earth. Burlap was used to create their head wraps, that was painted with acrylics and a textile medium that gives them structure. 

The taller sister who is carrying firewood, wears a shoulder bag made of the same burlap that holds a small blue paper flower, symbolic for their ancestral wisdom. The rose colored paper flower at her hip represents the Divine Feminine.

 The shorter sister, who is also wearing blue paper flowers on her head wrap, holds her hands clasped together at her waist, to receive the blessings from their prayers. The sacred fire circle is created with river stones and miniature wood in the center. Each sister has a large dried botanical at her feet, each holding one small dried paper flower or botanical, both gifts back to the Earth for their gratefulness. 

The sculpture sits on a wooden display block that is painted black and is signed, titled, and dated on the bottom by me. In it's entirety the sculpture is 11.5 inches in length, 10 inches in height, and 5.5 inches in width. A story card accompanies the artwork.

Tending the Sacred Fire, a Gourd and Clay Sculpture by Jeanne Fry

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Mother Crow Gourd Art Doll Sculpture

Crows are a highly skilled and beautiful totem, and even though we have learned so much about them they still hold great mystery. We understand that they are intelligent, can use tools, and have adept communication skills, which along with their ability to work as a team make them proficient at manifesting their wants and needs. And even after all of our observing and studying, they still hold a magical sense about them that intrigues us.

It could be there are some stories about them we still do not know....such as who is Mother Crow?

Mother Crow Gourd Art Doll Sculpture by Jeanne Fry

Mother Crow presides over the entire Crow Kingdom. She stands majestically at the Tree of Crows, which is their homeland. It is here where they return to every evening as the sun is setting and the moon is rising, under the safe and loving watchful eye of Mother Crow. They are given reprieve from the constant chore of being watchmen during the day, and can rest safely under her guard. While they rest, she with great care rejuvenates them, spreading her magical sheen of protection and mastery over their feathers. Mother Crow is ever present to them here at the Tree of Crows...waiting nightly...to spread her magic again and again..watching over her clan of Crows.

Mother Crow Gourd Sculpture by Jeanne Fry

Mother Crow Gourd Art Doll Sculpture by Jeanne Fry

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Jillian Frost an OOAK Winter Elf Art Doll of Gourd and Clay

I had taken a break for a few weeks from creating Art Dolls so that I could paint, but delved back in for the holidays. Of course my creations don't focus on Santa Claus or Snowmen, but rather on olde stories, lore, and tall tales. Most of them revolve around the woodlands, my favorite part of nature.

Coming back to the studio first produced Jillian Frost. Jillian Frost is a Winter Elf, a gourd and clay art doll.This OOAK figurative sculpture is filled with Woodland elements.

The Story of Jillian Frost

Jillian Frost, a Winter Elf, has arrived in town for the Holidays. Jillian is a mild mannered Elf, tender and caring, and watches over the woodland animals during the long cold days of Winter. She helps the wee ones find warm homes to shelter them and directs them to where they can find food. The birds especially will flock to Jillian, for they can sense her authentic compassion. She allows the winged ones to come into her home and perch on the holiday tree. They build small nests and string popcorn garland on the tall spruce tree, while she bakes cookies in the oven.

Jillian knows what old Jack Frost is up to and when he will be bringing the Frost and frigid temperatures. She is always one step ahead of him, hurrying the woodland animals to their safe havens. Grandma Jillian is most loved in the Woodlands.

Every evening the woodland animals (squirrels, birds, chipmunks, and other wee ones) will gather around Jillian as she tells them stories. They love this time of day when Jillian will spin a story and share with them a snack of gathered nuts and fresh baked bread.

(When Jillian hadn't been adopted after her holiday creation she was packed away, and in a sense had gotten lost in the archives. Now upon her reappearance, she has gotten a makeover and is ready once again to find a new home.)

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Elizabeth the Folk Artist from Black Mountain, NC

New to the Wisdom Keeper Art Doll clan is Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is a Folk Artist from Black Mountain, North Carolina. Her mother and her grandmother

were Appalachian Granny Women - herbalists and midwives in the North Carolina Mountains. Now that the mountains are more populated and modern ways have come, doctors exist in those towns and the Granny Women aren't needed as they once were. 

So Elizabeth adapted her knowledge of herbs and plants into creating Folk Craft. Every morning she walks the mountain paths behind her cabin to gather nature's beauty. From these she created Lavender Bundles, Flower Wreaths, Carved Gourd Bowls, Soaps and Perfumes.

                  Her daughters are learning from her to carry on the knowledge of these wise women.

Elizabeth is a Gourd Art Doll. She is approximately 16 inches tall and 8 inches in diameter.Her hat, over coat, and skirt are hand sewn of tweed with fiber embellishements for trim. She is holding a dried pod which is holding two small pumpkins and mini gourd. In her pockets are dried naturals and peacock feather.
Her scarf is closed with a shell bead. Her hair is braided with leather ties. She is attached to wooden base for display.

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