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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Antonella the Sunflower Carrier Folk Art Doll

Antonella is the Sunflower Carrier. She was present during the very first existence of Sunflowers in Tabasco, Mexico and since that glory filled day so long ago she has carried them far and wide. It became loved by many for its numerous uses and is known to some as the fourth sister, to the three sisters of corn, beans, and squash.

 

Antonella the Sunflower Carrier by Jeanne Fry

But aside from all the uses that exist for the sunflower, Antonella knew that this beauty was a Sun Goddess in her own right. She carries its seed in her pockets, planting and spreading the beauty wherever she travels.

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The Red Haired Sleeping Mermaid

Kammie, the Red Haired Sleeping Mermaid, is full of dreams and stardust. While all of her other mermaid sisters are constantly swimming, playing, working, and taking adventures up top to see the humans....Kammie's favorite thing to do is....napping. 

The Red Haired Sleeping Mermaid, Contemporary Folk Art Doll by Jeanne Fry

You see when she was a wee baby mermaid she used to travel to the top with her sisters on adventures. One night as she was sitting on a rocky bank, a shooting star came drifting down through the skies and gently landed in her lap. She was glittered with stardust and soon fell asleep with sweet dreams of beauty and happiness. When she woke she was completely refreshed and felt perfect happiness. 

The stardust became a part of her, making her slumber times a journey to another world where she had her own exciting adventures.

And so today, more times than not, when you see Kammie...she is sleeping with a smile on her face.

The red haired sleeping mermaid is a Contemporary Folk Art Doll by Jeanne Fry that is a beaded creation of cloth and clay.
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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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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 

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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Symbolism of Sweetgrass Blessings Medicine Doll

Sweetgrass Blessings is my newest art doll in the Medicine Doll series. Her symbolism  is representative of sweetgrass, a cleansing of negativity and a calling in of kind kindred spirits around you. I think we all need to take an inventory of our relationships from time to time, and ask us ourselves which ones are healthy...which ones are unhealthy. During certain periods of our life, we may find that we need to move on from those unhealthy relationships. This is the period that Sweetgrass Blessings symbolizes.

Sweetgrass Blessings Medicine Doll by Jeanne Fry

When you have decided to set new boundaries on how others treat you, and that you only want people that are kind, nurturing, and with good heart around you...this is the personal healing time that is representative of Blessings of Sweetgrass.

This medicine doll was created with these very intentions in mind, lovingly hand stitched, sculpted, beaded, and painted. She is meant to remind you of the importance of you.

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Folk Art Doll Miniatures carry Bundles of Inspiration

For the past seven years I have created Folk Art Dolls that were created in a variety of themes from whimsical to cultural to spiritual. They have allowed me to explore endless possibilities in mediums, sometimes evolving from Gourd and Paper clay, all Clay sculpts, or Beaded Cloth and Clay. But one of my greatest joys in the creating, is expressing myself through my Art Doll Miniatures.

Beads, Cloth, and Clay to create an Art Doll Miniature

 Folk Art Doll Miniatures are known as Art Doll Ornaments, Ornies, Mini's, and Poppets. I call mine Wisdom Keeper Poppets, because they carry bundles of inspiration in each little Art Doll.

Mermaid Folk Art Dolls by Jeanne Fry

Each of these  Art Dolls are based from cloth and clay. I hand stitch each of them from batik, cotton, one of the many fabrics I have collected over time. Their faces are crafted from Art Doll Clay, and then hand painted with layers of acrylics and sealed with a satin or gloss finish.

Once I have stitched the body and attached the face, the possibilities are endless in how they evolve. I add hair using fleece, fibers, and silk mohair  from alpaca or sheep that has been hand dyed, or knitting yarns. Sometimes I even just bead their hair using seed beads.

Folk Art Doll Miniatures with hand dyed fleece locks for hair

Once she has formed, I begin embellishing with lots of different seed beads, glass beads, clay beads, and beaded trim. I attached small metal charms, ribbon, organza, paper flowers, dried botanical.....the list is endless. (This would account for the countless boxes, bins, and jars of embellishments that fill my studio)

For those that will be Ornaments, I sew a small leather loop on their back. Some have pin-backs so that they can be worn on a coat lapel, attached to a tote bag, or even to a curtain. Some of my Art Doll miniatures are designed to be Wall Hangers, with a loop on their back to hang on a picture hanger on a wall. This alleviates the need for shelf space that many of us have a shortage of.

Many of my collectors carry them in or attached to their purse of tote bag, others hand them in their car or on their office wall.

I tend to create my Art Dolls in themes...Inspirational, Empowering, and Whimsical. I make separate lines of Gnomes Dolls, Mermaid Dolls , and even Rabbit Art Dolls for Easter.

Gnome Folk Art Doll Miniatures

Rabbit Folk Art Doll Ornament

Trinity Goddess Folk Art Doll Wall Hanger

And of course I create Frida Kahlo Folk Art Dolls too, one of my favorite inspirations.

Frida Kahlo Folk Art Doll Ornament

Creating Folk Art Doll Miniatures or Ornies, are such a joy...to create a small piece of Art with large meaningful impact.

If you would like to see my current Folk Art Dolls you can find them in my Etsy and Indiemade shops here

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JeanneFryArt

http://jeannefryart.indiemade.com

Mermaids from the Deep Sea ~ Lore

After exploring the deepest seas and swimming through the widest oceans, I returned with three very special friends; Shelltina, Calliope, and Penelope. They are some of the wisest Mermaids in all of the Water World.

Now Shelltina was the first Mermaid I met as I swam amidst the cold waters of Nova Scotia.

She is what some of you may call from the Steampunk era, but in her world she is known to hold the antiquities of the Deep Sea. She embraces the knowledge of the Water World history from the very beginning, the wisest of Sea Maidens. She has the ability to be in both worlds of Land and Sea, and understands the emotions that ebb and flow from both. Shelltina is one you would call on when seeking to understand matters of the Heart, and make the wisest decisions in Love and Friendship. She is an enlightened Mermaid.

Calliope is one of her closest friends.

She presents herself when situations of misunderstanding arise. She is extremely diplomatic and knows the perfect ways to create Peace between those that are in dispute. She is a resolution finder. Calliope has an extremely strenuous job.

And last but certainly not least is Penelope. Penelope is a friend to all of the small sea creatures. She protects them, and takes them to safety when larger aquatic animals are nearby. She swiftly sweeps them up and takes them to secret hiding places to keep them safe until they can emerge again.

Penelope is a member of the Sea Urchin Clan. Her best friend and navigator is her Seahorse, Herbert, who can always be found riding on her tail.

These girls have kept me awake for countless hours with their stories since we came home. 

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Wings of a Whisper ~ Butterfly Faerie Art Doll

Shhhh...her Wings are magical. They allow her to take an adventure, wherever and whenever she desires, with no one knowing when she comes and when she goes. She blends with the sunrise and when you feel as if something has just brushed your hair, it is her secretly floating by on her Wings of a Whisper.

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Mother Snow Owl Folk Art Doll

Inspired by the cool crisp air that is starting to move in with the Fall, is Mother Snow Owl.

She watches over all of the Snowy Owls, guiding them to the areas where food is plentiful, and keeps a watchful eye on them.

Although he is the Keeper of the Snowy, all of the owl clans look up to her for she extends a kind hand and warm heart to them all.

Mother Snow Owl is the Keeper of the Snowy Owl, as her Mother and Grandmother were before her. She carries the Keeper staff and shall pass it down to her own daughter when the time comes.

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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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Understanding the Mermaid..

When reading and studying the folklore of the Mermaid, it seems that their concepts vary widely depending on the culture's stories. Some say they were known to sing to sea travellers and the distraction would  cause them to run their ships aground, others say that have carried humans off to their kingdoms under the sea. Whatever the lore may be, we have been enchanted by these beautiful creatures for ages. So, what is it that attracts us to the sea maiden?
The mystery of the Mer intrigues us. She holds the beauty of woman herself in an embodiment that has the ability to step into both worlds. Momentarily she can be found sitting upon the rocks of the sea banks, perhaps singing to the seagulls or flirting with a passing human. Primarily she is journeying through the waters, delighting in a world who's beauty is mostly unknown to us.
The Mermaid exudes an unbridled passion and a link to the mystery. By having a presence in both land and sea, she is symbolic of a literal thinking world and a rider of the water's emotional world; a combination that shows she has mastered the head and the heart.

While her world in the waters is beautiful and serene, she misses human contact and the conversation. Perhaps, she is just as intrigued with us, as we are with her.

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