No Apologies for Being my Authentic Self - Spirit Doll

Over the past two weeks I created a concept through 3 separate art modalities - Watercolor Painting, Sculpture, and Writing. The concept that I was portraying was "No Apologies for Being my Authentic Self".
In the Sculpture modality I used Gourd and Clay as the base of a Spirit Doll, a part of my Wisdom Keeper Art Doll collection, honoring the many layers of being a woman. The compilation of mixed media in this piece brings together Gourd, Clay, Handmade Paper, Wood, and Acrylics.

Her story reads as follows:

No Apologies will be made when she is speaking her truth, for she will no longer water it down or deliver it in small palatable pieces. Her Truth is not spoken in malice. Her Truth is spoken with strength and with grace. 

No Apologies will be made in honoring her own truth, for she will respect the needs of her own Spirit, just as she respects and listens to the needs of others. 

No Apologies will be made when she is drawing her line. Her boundaries are healthy and honor her Soul. 

No Apologies will be made when she is defending her line. Her boundaries are transparent and let you know where she stands. 

No Apologies will be made if it appears that she has changed, and no apologies will be made on how long those changes may have taken. She will celebrate her conscious evolving, always respecting what feels right in her heart. 

No Apologies will be made when she reveals her Authentic Self. She may have been afraid to show herself in the past, or she may have been afraid to defend herself in the past, but she is not afraid Today. 

Today, she lives, loves, and breathes from her deepest sense of Truth, 

and she does so with No Apologies." 

SOLD

I'm Still Dancing - through it all - I'm Still Dancing

A Letter to the Big C, 

"I'm still Dancing. Through it all, I'm still Dancing. 

You may take my strong threshold for pain, and you may take my ability to keep food down. Through it all, I learned to honor my pain and find ways to gently nurture and comfort my body

You may attack my immune warriors and make me feel as though I am waking roughly on a battle field. Through it all, I learned to be a guardian of my energy. retaining and spending it wisely. 

You may force me to spend too many days getting poked and prodded by doctors instead of enjoying the beautiful things in my life.Through it all, I learned the importance of surrounding myself with healthy relationships and enjoying each moment with them. 

Through it all, Big C, I made sure to level the playing field. I made sure you didn't take more than I was willing to lose. Through it all, for each thing that you took, I created a space for something special to reside. And while I now take back any power that I think you may have had....

I give myself permission to color my life a new kind of beautiful.

I'm still Living. I'm still Loving. And I'm still Dancing. 

Through it all."

This mixed media Figurative Sculpture is probably my most diverse piece of Art, and at the same time is one of the most meaningful. She is #1 in my new "BraveHearts" series. Her symbolism focuses on Breast Cancer Survival and her Mastectomy Tattoo. 

Her "neutral" state (in regards to her color palette of Beige and White) should not distract you from her mosaic of textures. 

"I'm Still Dancing" was created from Burlap, Clay, and Linen, along with supportive mediums. 

She stands 19 inches in height, spans 11 inches in width, and is 9 inches in depth. 

Her head, face, and torso are an Original Sculpt from Clay. Her hair was sculpted into an up-do, and is a rich honey blonde shade. Using Acrylics, her torso and face were painted a pale skin tone in the softest of a Cream shade. 

One breast was sculpted on her torso, the other is absent (reflective of a mastectomy)and now replaced with a mastectomy "tattoo". The tattoo was painted in white, yellow, grey-lavender, and cream. 

Her arms were hand stitched from muslin, stuffed with polyester filling, and attached to the torso in an outstretched form. 

From her hips downward a metal armature was created in a long skirt shape. Strips of burlap and glittered organza were draped around the armature and coated with a special medium that when dried, transformed the burlap just as hard and stiff as the clay. A thick sheet of felt encloses the bottom of the sculpture. 

Her arms were hand stitched from muslin, stuffed with polyester filling, and attached to the torso in an outstretched form. 

The above "Letter to the Big C" comes with the Art Doll, printed on card stock, signed and dated. 

You can find her listed in my Etsy here

I'm Still Dancing Figurative Sculpture

Star Being Wishes - a Wisdom Keeper Spirit Doll

Dear Human, 

I came from the Stars, just for You. 

I came from the Stars because I heard your spirit making wishes. 

I came from the Stars because I sensed your worry. 

I came from the Stars, to help You. 

Please find a safe loving place to keep me, where you will see me every day and where you can hear me when I remind you that....

💙there is always a light shining, even in the darkest of places...

💙that I don't want you to lose hope while you are waiting on your wish, because sometimes that means when it comes it will be extra special.. because we worked extra hard on it for you....

💙that in the meantime while you are waiting and wishing, be happy - dance - enjoy every moment - don't waste them because they are too precious....

💙and that, we are watching you from the Stars, we are cheering you on, and we will light the way. 

We're in this together.

Love in all ways,

From just one little Star who loves you

You can find "Star Being Wishes" on my Etsy here

Star Being Wishes Inspirational Spirit Doll

The Story of Drunken Rose Clay Art Doll Sculpted in Glass Bottle

Drunken Rose is a clay art doll that was sculpted within a glass rose water bottle. I collected this bottle a few years ago, and it sat in my studio waiting to be transformed. My great love of flowers and herbs has always been with me from childhood, urging me each year to keep gardens. I could spend hours in the garden or at a plant nursery, running my fingers through the herbs to release their scent, and creating bouquets of flowers. The therapeutic value of the aromatherapy that is offered from them makes one forget their worries and bring such comfort. When I'm in a garden, I can forget everything else, and just be...in the moment...at peace.

This feeling is what inspired Drunken Rose.

Drunken Rose, Clay Sculpted Wisdom Keeper Art Doll by Jeanne Fry

Rose spent every afternoon in her garden. She would wake at 4am, shower, and with coffee cup in hand would spend half her day writing. She was a well known poet, but she was known just as importantly for her gardens.  From Spring until Fall everyone knew that Rose would eat her lunch and immediately retreat to her gardens, rain or shine. Here she found her inspirations, here was her passion. She would lovingly plant, weed, prune, and tend every sprig of life in the rich soil. The breeze would permeate the air with the luxurious scent from the rose bushes that lined her oasis, making her feel and be the beauty that she herself was, and always appreciate the beauty around her. It was an ecstasy for Rose, luring her back each day. This is how she became Drunken Rose, intoxicated with the beauty of life and the magnificence of being Happy.

Drunken Rose, Clay Sculpted Art Doll within a Glass Bottle by Jeanne Fry

Drunk Rose, Clay Sculpted Art Doll Back View Photo

Drunken Rose is a clay sculpted art doll within a Rose Water Glass Bottle. Inside the bottle are blue paper roses. She wears a colorful shawl around her shoulders and  is adorned with leaf vine and burlap. 

You can see more of Rose and collect her in my Etsy Shop here
Drunken Rose Altered Art Doll in Glass Bottle on Etsy