Finding Courage where the eddy meets the sierra - an OOAK Beaded Spirit Doll for Courage

The Inspiration

I wanted to create a Spirit Doll to reflect a particular character trait at a distinct kind of place, hence "finding courage where the eddy meets the sierra". In my thoughts, being able to find "serenity in the strength" leads to the courage to move forward. When I thought of what that would look like visually, it made me think of a magical little space where a cool blue eddy meets the edge of a sierra...where the water meets the mountain.

The Symbolism

In order to bring that forward in the spirit doll I used color, shapes, and gemstones.  First, her face was an Original Sculpt done in a more roundish shape to reflect the circular movement of an eddy. Her complexion, painted with acrylics, was done in earth tones to connect with the mountains, the sierra. Adding the two turquoise gemstone chips to attach the face to the body was a perfect addition.
Her hair, the main symbolism for the eddy, was created by sewing hand dyed fibers in fabulous cool water blues with hints of mermaid green. Her hair is wavy and flowing, almost a bit wild, but contained by pulling back in a loose pony tail - symbolic for the water current.
Her body was sewn in a soft pyramid shape to reflect a mountain, using a batik fabric in a deep payne's grey that has accents of subtle yellow-green and blues. I loved the color scheme to symbolize the edge of the sierra, and then used several types of earthy beads to accent the symbolism.
The Unakite (spirituality stone) focal bead in the center is itself in a pyramid shape that allowed me to add a small round beige jasper bead in its center.....the serenity in the strength....where the eddy meets the sierra. A flowing swirl of beads lead away from the focal bead, a mixture of Prehnite, Green Jasper, and Wood Beads....all beads associated with grounding, the earth, stability, balance, and strength.
Fibers in lavender, turquoise, purple, and blue are tied around her shoulders as a scarf, and run along the bottom edge of her body and once across her chest.

The Completion 

This wee Wisdom Keeper Spirit Doll can be kept close at hand when one needs to bolster Courage on their journey. She can serve as a visual aid in meditation, allowing one to imagine seeing where the crystalline blue waters of the eddy meet the edge of the beautiful sierra ridge line. Paying special attention to the symbolism involved, along with cleansing breath-work, helps one find Serenity in the Strength....and it is here where you can find 

Courage. 

***SOLD***

You can see more of "Courage" on my website here

OOAK Beaded Spirit Doll for Courage

Andromeda Star Being, a Contemporary Folk Spirit Doll from the We All See the Same Moon painting

Recently I created a new canvas painting titled "We All See the Same Moon". This painting was symbolically important to me, speaking of seeing past our differences and the things that divide us,

in order to bond as compassionate humans in peace and love. At this point in the evolution of our human spirits you would think that we would have come much further in our connectedness, but unfortunately we seem to be even more so divided by race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, age, and disabilities. Hate crimes and intolerance seem to be running rampant in our world, and I wanted to call attention to this in my painting. The symbolism and message within the painting was portrayed profoundly by reminding one through the imagery that "We All See the Same Moon". At our cores we are all the same fragile spirits living an earthly human experience, with the same vulnerabilities and fears, joys and dreams.

The original painting was sold, but the message remained important to me. I then offered it as an Art Print in my Fine Art America studio, but still I wanted its focus to live on. I decided to create, in 3D form, the four star beings in the painting who stand looking up a the Moon.

The first of this series is Andromeda as a Star Being. I suppose I chose this Star Being to be Andromeda because of the historical mythology of Princess Andromeda and how I interpreted it. 

Andromeda's mother, Cassiopeia, boasted often of her daughter's beauty, so much so that she began telling others that her daughter was more beautiful than their own children. Her mother had fostered a jealousy among many that soon became a hatred.  Poseidon, the God of the Sea, was angered by this boastful rivalry and decided to send a sea monster to destroy Andromeda's home lands, and soon Andromeda was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to appease the sea monster. Andromeda's life, an innocent victim of this spiraled hate, was saved by Perseus. 

Andromeda later married Perseus and the two proceeded to have 9 children together. 

At the end of her life, a goddess placed her among the constellations in the sky near Perseus and her mother Cassiopeia. 

The story causes one to look at Ego and Modesty, Boastfulness and Jealousy, Hatred and Indifference. In ancient origin, mother Cassiopeia's boastful  attitude was called hubris, an extreme arrogance by a person in power in order to belittle or shame those they felt were less than.  

Andromeda was a beautiful spirit,  both loved and hated by many because of this beauty. 

The Andromeda Spirit Doll is available in my Etsy shop here

Andromeda Star Being Contemporary Folk Spirit Doll on Etsy

Her Heart of Wings, a Spirit Doll for Women's Empowerment

Her Heart of Wings - Spirit Doll for Women's Empowerment

There are days, we all have them, when you just feel stuck in the world. It can seem as if there are no open doors in the long hallway that we pace. This feeling of  stagnancy can nag at our spirit, making us question our journey and its purpose. If we stay in that space for too long we can begin to feel trapped, bound, and yearning for freedom.

This is the moment when we can envision her Heart of Wings. 

She reminds us that our heart has no bounds, but is as limitless as the Universe itself. All one need do is to close their eyes and "see" the heart wings open and gracefully take flight into the world of Possibility and Hope. Slowly, as the wings begin to smoothly glide, your heart reaches back and whispers to your mind...who you are, why you are here, and pulls away the veil of fear. The flight of freedom now fills the spirit with confidence, a knowing, and optimism. 

It slowly comes back to delicately land in the hallway, and when the eyes are opened.....the doors of opportunity appear.

The Creation of her Heart of Wings

This Spirit Art Doll is made from Cloth and Clay and each piece of it was hand stitched. The fabric used was a beautiful deep blend of gold, copper, and burnt sienna. She has long legs and shapely hips. A blue and green batik skirt wrap around her with the edges beaded with silver and gold seed beads. A pink and yellow taffeta shoulder wrap grace her shoulders. A red paper butterfly with twine antennae sits upon her chest, symbolic for the "Heart of Wings". A red and bronze colored glass charm with a bird adorns her skirt, representing "flight". Strands of fibers and ribbons are wrapped and tied around her waist and flow gracefully down her side. 

Her face is created from clay and painted with acrylics. Her beautiful blue eyes light up her face which is surrounded by a thick mane of hair made of black fibers with red and yellow strands. An orange ribbon ties her wild hair away from her face. 

This creation is part of the Wisdom Keeper Art Doll Collection by Jeanne Fry, spirit dolls created for women's empowerment.

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Koi - Love and Good Fortune Art Doll

"Koi" is symbolic for love and relationships. (Koi fish are very auspicious- good fortune in Feng Shui. There are many types of coloring on Koi, each representing something different. The coloring on the fish on this particular doll are symbolic for good fortune and love. The Yin Yang symbol is said to portray two Koi fish meeting - a balance- a union.)
Koi fish used to be all black and later the colorings changed. Legend says that they would swim upstream in a river, through waterfalls, until they reached the top which was called "Dragon's Gate". Here they were transformed into a dragons - their colors would change - and they were considered good fortune.

Koi the Art Doll ~
Koi has grown into a beautiful woman. She has journeyed through many lessons, swam through her own waterfalls, and has reached the Dragon's Gate in her own life. She has fulfillment in being a woman, comfortable and happy with her own self, not dependent on another person. She has learned that she needs to look inside her self for her happiness for truly only she knows what speaks to her soul.  Her persona is filled with beautiful color. Now she wraps her Koi Shawl around her shoulders, beautifully beaded, as a symbol of her attainment. She stands tall and wise and smiling. While she is in absolute contentment, she knows that  some day her "other" will come to her and she will be able to fall into a healthy and loving relationship, while never giving up "her self".

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You Are Loved a Contemporary Folk Art Doll with Big Eyes and Big Love

We all have those moments of feeling a little lost and alone, don't we? No matter how strong and empowered as women we can be, there are just some days when we feel a bit vulnerable. Even when we are surrounded my lots of people and life is busy busy busy, we can still feel alone in this big fast-paced world.

For this very reason, I created "You Are Loved".

You Are Loved, Contemporary Folk Art Doll by Jeanne Fry

I wanted her to be a reminder that we are never truly alone, no matter what the circumstances. We are all going through similar struggles. We all have a journey that we are traveling. And we all are here to help one another on this path.

"You Are Loved" is a Cloth and Clay Contemporary Folk Art Doll. Her body was hand stitched from a beautiful blue batik fabric that is rich and soothing, and then filled with a polyfil. I created her face from clay and painted it with layers of shades of blue and white. Her big sweet brown eyes command your attention, just sending one armfuls of compassion and love. A charm is attached, resembling poetry script, memories of love notes and dreams. Fibers and ribbons are sewn on to her dress, giving her a flowing and feminine allure.

She is meant to travel with you, keep in your purse or tote bag, hang in your car, set her on your work desk, hang her in your creative space, or even on your nightstand. Let her remind you whenever you look at her, that you are not alone and You Are Loved.

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Goddess of the Milky Way Spirit Doll

This weekend I was inspired to create the "Goddess of the Milky Way". I had spent the week before thinking about how we can often think that our problems are so big and overwhelming that we become paralyzed in discouragement. Sometimes all we need is a little change in perception to remove the road block and move forward.

One evening while sitting on my porch gazing at the stars, I started to think about how very small each of us humans are in this vast universe...how we are all just a very tiny part of the bigger picture...and how each of us has the same moon, the same stars, and the same sky shine over us.

Very quickly those things that we all worry about seemed to not matter quite so much. Each new day brings new thought. Each new day brings another stretch of our journey. And each new day we need to remind ourselves not to be distracted away from the Beauty of Life by every day stresses.

The Goddess of Milky Way was created to be that reminder.

If you would like to see more of the Goddess of the Milky Way, you can find her listing here in our Etsy shop here
Goddess of the Milky Way Altered Art Doll on Etsy

Loving Mother Earth Contemporary Folk Art Doll and Symbolism

Mother Earth, Gaia, Mother Nature....the personification of the feminine influence that resides over this beautiful botanical garden that we call Earth and all of it's creatures is in my thought processes every day when I am creating. I have such a strong connection with nature and the animals, a mothering instinct, seeing the beauty in all that exists. My appreciation spans from the smallest butterfly cocoon to the tallest redwood tree. 

Loving Mother Earth, Contemporary Folk Art Doll by Jeanne Fry

She is always creating a balance in this circle of life, many times having to recreate the natural order of things to accommodate our human actions. 

She is the focus of my "Loving Mother Earth" folk art doll. I sculpted her face in attempt to capture the balance that she herself holds....a compassionate serene expression that is full of wisdom and at the same time carrying a strength to do what needs to be done. She may even hold a bit of sadness over how we as humans treat her, but still she creates a bounty of beauty for us to live within. She serves as a reminder to think about how we treat the earth we live on, and how we leave it for those that will come after us.

Close up view of "Loving Mother Earth" sculpt

Loving Mother Earth Contemporary Folk Art Doll

She was created as a wall hanger art doll, to display prominently, as a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us each day.

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Gypsy Magic in her Heart, a Wisdom Keeper Art Doll

Remember when you were a child, and your dreams were bigger than the sky? Do you remember those times when you thought that anything was possible....when you could do everything....when you believed in magic? When we were children we were still innocent. We were in tune with the world around us, and in tune with ourselves. Our intuition was strong. We could see and here and feel things that the adults couldn't.

Growing up we learned other things...pessimism, how to build walls, and black and white. A much smaller population comes into adulthood with the same zest for believing. Many lose their intuitive senses. 

This was the reason I created the my most recent Gypsy Folk Art Doll.

Gypsy Magic in her Heart, Folk Art Doll by Jeanne Fry

 This Wisdom Keeper comes with a little scroll that reads "Don't ever let anyone tell you that magic doesn't exist, for it is always alive in your heart". 

With immense attention to detail, the Gypsy is hand stitched from a beautiful detailed and designed cotton fabric of rich colors. She measures 16 inches tall and is in a semi seated position. Her hair is created from black wool roving and styled loose and wavy with beaded trim as a headband. I sculpted her face from clay, sanded, and then painted with acrylics and sealed with a satin finish. She wears two black beaded long dangle earrings. Around her waist is a wrap around skirt that closes with a leather tie that has small metal charms attached to it. Small metal bells are sewn to the bottom of her skirt. Her gold colored blouse stands out from the rich design, providing a beautiful background for the many beads, charms, and necklaces she is wearing. A shoulder wrap that matches her skirt is worn and secured with a metal scrolled button. 

 "Don't ever let anyone tell you that magic doesn't exist, for it is always alive in your heart". 

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Serendipity Brought to Form

I have always been delighted by serendipitous moments, when your dreams are confirmed, those happy little surprises, and you know that things are working out as they should.

 This is what inspired my latest art doll, named of course ~ Serendipity.

Serendipity Art Doll by Jeanne Fry

Serendipity is the sweet little spirit that arranges those serendipitous messages that come to us throughout our days...the messages that are confirmations to us that we are on the right path. During those moments when we question our own instincts and wonder if things are "right", she creates those little messages that appear in unexpected places, reminding us to trust our intuition.

Cloth Beaded Art Doll

She is a reassuring little being, that offers a confident and relaxed persona, and extends that energy when she is near.

(Serendipity is an art doll that is hand stitched and beaded. Her body is created from rich blue batik fabric that is hand stitched and beaded down the arm and around the ankle with auburn and amber seed beads. She wears a wrap around skirt and a gauze type scarf in reds and oranges. Around her neck she wears a silver key that has the word "Life" stamped in it. Her face is made of clay and painted with shades of cream and periwinkle blue. Hand dyed wool roving creates her beautiful hair in shades of magenta, browns, and highlights of amber with some simple beading that adorns it. Seated in a relaxed and casual position, she measures 7 inches tall with her leg extending 9 inches.)

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Amethyst Meadowskies ~ The Making of Memories

Amethyst Meadowskies only appears on those days when the skyline is the color I call "SkyBluePink". You know when she appears because all of a sudden, out of the blue, you start singing to yourself (usually songs from long ago) as a complete happiness washes over you. Old happy memories flood through your heart reminding of you of your happiest times. She brings the sweetest of memories and happy hearts.

Sitting she is approximately 6 inches tall. She is a cloth art doll with clay face. Her hair is fantastic dyed wool that is twisted like dreds. Small little seed beads adorn her hair. A hand crocheted scarf is wrapped around her shoulders or wool and angora. She holds purple silk flowers in her lap. Her necklace is created from an amethyst porcelain bead and smaller seed beads. She has two bracelets that go around her left wrist. A purple suede mini skirt goes perfectly with the fabric she is made from. She has little purple flowers on her feet, with purple braiding tied up her calves.

She is absolutely sweet as can be, my little hippie girl, Amethyst Meadowskies.

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Magical Beings in the Mountain Mist

Today it has been cold and dreary on the mountain. As the mist floats over the curves of the mountain, I stay warm inside prepared to work a little magic. With my dog at my feet and warm cup of tea, I oull up Netflix and find a beautiful little movie to work along with. "Ondine", a movie about an Irish fisherman who finds a Selkie in his fishing net, captures my attention and while it's Celtic tunes play softly under the actors, I work on a Mermaid Poppet that's a gift for Steve's wife. 

At midday I finished another custom order for a Raven Goddess doll, that I have completely fallen in love with.

The magic and grace just seems to exude from her.

So pleased to have gotten my orders done, now I will see what I can create for this weekend's show.

SOLD

Art Dolls Touching the Spirit this week...

This week my Art Doll creating focused on some custom orders and gifts, along with adding to my inventory. Twice the amount of time was taken with them, an almost meditative process of complete serenity as I worked. I always enjoy creating them, but something was a bit different this week.

It  felt similar to  a time a few years ago when I sat for hours creating hundereds of prayer bundles for a sweat lodge. When you create prayer bundles, your mind is to be focused on prayers and positive thoughts, and while I always am happy when I create my dolls...this week seemed to be a pure meditation. It was wonderful.

Healing Comfort ~ Chelsea

Embrace

Dreaming Angel

Green Tea

Cherry Blossom

These dolls have been adopted, but you can see more of my art dolls in my Indiemade shop here

http://jeannefryart.indiemade.com