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.

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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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"'Charmed" by my Mother's Creations

I'm lucky to have a mother who loves to create. She used to make art dolls, but has become an avid stamper. She makes tote bags and charms and art cards. Every few months she sends me goodies she has made from her art swaps.

Last year she had made me a Frida Tote bag. Since then whenever she sends me a charm, I add some of them to the front of the tote. It has become one of my most treasured pieces of art.

It's so great to have a mother and daughter relationship where you both inspire each other.

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 Art Doll and the Artist

Art Dolls have become highly collectible and are an art form in themselves. With the amount of diversity that exists in their creation, many have found it difficult to define their type of art. Fine Art? Fine Craft? Folk Art? Fiber Art? Outsider Art? Assemblage Art?

They can fall into so many categories because of the wide range of mediums that are used. Art Dolls can be created from Gourd, Clay, Cloth, Porcelain, Wood, or Found Objects. Their possibilities in theme and embellishments are even more diverse. With all that said, the commonality that brings them all together and connects the artist and the collector is the Face.

It creates the "voice" for the piece. Some will be serene and peaceful, while others can be mischievous and spunky. They help to tell the story of the Art Doll, of which every one of them has.

Art Dolls are crafted for the adult collector. So as an adult, what makes us fall in love with them?

They can be reminders, reminders of a time past, of ancestors and cultures. They can reflect our interests in magical and fanstasy worlds. They can represent the diffferent stages of being a woman and the journeys that we move through. Or simply, they bring us stories.

Whatever the theme or medium used, Art Dolls become a cherished piece of art, both to the artist and to the collector.

                                                         http://www.consciousartstudios.com/

 

You can see my current artwork and available art dolls in my Artfire Studio here

 Wisdom Keeper Art Doll Collection on Artfire

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

Displaying Art Dolls for Shows

Of all the various types of Art that my husand and I create and set up in our art show booths, displaying the Art Dolls is my most time consuming. My Art Dolls use about 1/3 of our booth. I am constantly changing the type of display stands, risers, and shelving and now I'm at it again, sketching different ideas for them.

My full size Wisdom Keeper Art Dolls come in various sizes ranging from 6 inches to 14 inches tall. Using shelving makes them less visible, so I have found that using the risers gives them the height and individuality that they need.

My smaller versions, the Wisdom Keeper Poppet, need to be able to be picked up easily in order to see their fine details.

Fall is coming...time for Halloween Art Dolls

My most favorite season  is nearly upon us...Fall. I absolutely love Autumn. Growing up in Upstate New York introduced me to this glorious time and since then I have lived in some of the most beautiful places that nurture my love for this color rich time period.

As a child I would go to the Cider Mill in Endicott NY. I would watch them make the old fashioned cake donuts and would peak into all of the barrels of candy apples and apple cider. I waited all year for them to open. In the back of the Cider Mill you would find the Cider Mill Playhouse, where you could watch a play. It was exciting every time.

The crisp air, the changing of the leaves, and the brilliant colors all enhance my anticipation for the season and the things to do...one of them being Halloween. And so, it wouldn't be complete if I didn't create some Art Dolls for this season, now would it?

This week Ophelia's Pumpkin Patch joined our clan of Wisdom Keepers....

Ophelia waits all year for this time..her favorite and most important time...the harvesting of her Pumpkin Patch. The pumpkins may not be the largest...and they may be slightly odd shaped, but everybody and I do mean everybody knows that Ophelia grows the most magical and delightful pumpkins around.

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Kachina Gourd

The newest creation in my collection is my Kachina Gourd. Contemplating for about two months what exactly I would do with this particular gourd, I finally had the spark of inspiration.

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The Ancient Genie and Her Lamp..

~The Ancient Genie and Her Lamp~

What would you do if you were granted your deepest desires?

Are you brave enough to live your dreams?

This is what the Old One asks....Are you ready for your wishes to come true?

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Marley and Max ~ Mermaid and Seahorse Soulmates

The Ocean is a beautiful place, another world  within our own of great mystery...but in it's vastness it can also be a very lonely place. Sometimes the Like-minds need to stick together in order to survive.

Did you know that for every Mermaid there is a Seahorse? They are both so strong and yet so

delicate. They are connected as soulmates.

When Marley was a young Sea Maiden, her curiousness used to make her vulnerable to the Humans who tried to catch her. She met Max while in fast retreat in the coral

reef , hiding from the humans on her trail.

Catching her breath and peaking through the seaweed, she saw Max with his tail wrapped around a neighboring plant.

 Max helped her hide until the humans were gone and they became the best of friends, inseperable to this day.

When you see one of them, you always know the other is near by...but most times is you DO see them you'll only see their tails swimming away  in unison as they laugh and tell stories to one another.

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