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| Celebration Elves |
Celebration Elves
Living in the Caribbean for so many years also introduced me to the wonderful folklore of the region….stories passed down from one generation to another by word of mouth mostly. I found it difficult to actually find any of these fables in written or picture form so I “embellished” the themes and characters I heard about by creating my own interpretations in small sculptures.
They were mostly made from polymer clay at that time and were popular with the tourists who would flock to the Island on vacation.
When I moved back to Canada I scoured the internet for local artists who might inspire me with their own portrayals of members of the Faerie Realm and I read any and all books I could find on the subject.
There were two “AHA moments” which came one after the other early in 2004. The first was discovering the work of Kate Church and marveling over her wonderful, whimsical characters which so touched me with both a little awe and a whole lot of excitement!
The realization that there was another Canadian who loved this Airy Faerie world as much as I did was absolutely heartwarming!
The second moment of discovery for me was coming upon the works of Brian Froud, his books on Faeries and his wonderfully interpretive drawings and paintings. I finally felt that I was in good company and without either of these people knowing it they both became mentors for me in developing my art.
Now came the true test! How to move from small polymer clay sculptures to the more challenging task of creating “Faerie Art Dolls” with new materials and new techniques?
I was so fortunate to study for a few short days with renowned Art Doll Artist, Ankie Daanen, in 2007. Her generosity in sharing doll making sculptural methods with Air Drying clays opened new doors for me and afforded me a new scope of work….thank you Ankie!
