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"Art, Like Cookies for the Soul" ~ Nancy Lee |
Song as Ella Mae
Painted October 2009
A Commission
New Web Page 10/26/09
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Only for happiness, repainted dolls . . . a new kind of "canvas"
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Where to find Nancy Lee's dolls . . . 402.274.3040 phone or nancylee@nancyleemoran.com
Debut Song by Helen Kish
Transformed into a Unique Doll |
She stands by herself.
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How graceful and bendable she is.
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Here is my first time to paint Song, a new sculpt introduced by Helen Kish for her Chrysalis line of vinyl BJDs (ball-jointed dolls) in 2008. Like her friends Grace (smiling), Lark, Piper, Raven, Shea and Wren, Song is a 14-inch (35 cm) tall youth. The first boy in the series, Phoenix, had his debut in autumn 2009 at MDCC.
Side Note: MDCC is the Modern Doll Collector's Convention. Its 2009 Enchanted Adventures featured a Runway Show and Contest for the doll Ellowyne Wilde. If you would like to see a repainted Ellowyne on my website:
Here is link to a page where Ellowyne appears as an Irish singer.
I felt nervous about recreating an Asian face on a doll for the first time. In pastel portraiture, I had painted children adopted from Korea (two boys) and China (four girls). When I removed Song's factory paint, I was surprised to find that the bare sculpt looked more Asian than it had looked with the factory-paint. After studying photos of Asian children and youth, I made decisions about what to enhance and what to minimize in the sculpt.
It calmed me to know that this doll was for Jen, who writes the wonderful doll studies from Cornwall, England. Since Jen and I have become friends since the autumn of 2008, I felt more artistic freedom, less concern over what "the client may expect to see."
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Song came with a wig of natural mohair. I like natural mohair, though it is delicate and easily tangled. My client asked me to find some wig options with synthetic fibers, which have the shine of Asian hair and hold a style. She enjoys changing the wigs on her ball-jointed dolls.
The FAITH wig is from the Monique Gold Collection, long and layered synthetic mohair.
In one photo, I trimmed the FAITH wig at my client's request, then made a braid with fine glass beads.
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FAITH Wig trimmed and beaded by Nancy
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The YURI wig is from the Monique Gold Collection, sleek and sassy.
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YURI Wig
synthetic mohair
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The KATHY wig from Monique has sleek, thick braids of modacrylic fiber.
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Song arrived in my studio wearing Jen's favorite dress from Ulla (eBay and etsy name = ulladesigns). The outfit had matching pants (back in England!).
My uncle brought the miniature carved village from Malaysia during the 1970s. It has a foot bridge, a pagoda, two white cranes, and many trees. I admire the quality of its workmanship and sometimes wonder about the person who carved it.
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Factory Artisan Paint
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Repainted Doll
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Bare Asian Sculpt
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The artisan painting done in China creates a lovely doll to the specifications of Helen Kish. In my painting, I aim only for less doll-like and more life-like, to see how much illusion of life I can achieve. Some painting work I do is of such delicacy, in transparent layers, with such time involved, that it would probably be cost-prohibitive to do it within a doll factory setting.
Nancy Lee Moran's POLICY TO SHOW RESPECT for HELEN KISH & other doll creators is as follows:
The dolls I use were factory painted. I would never repaint a doll that the artist (Helen Kish) had painted herself, such as some of those in the Kish Signature Line. I would not paint one in a limited edition of fewer than 300 (preferably 500 or more). I consult the beautiful book I own: Helen Kish: The Artist and Her Dolls by Louise Fecher (hardcover published in 2006). I am NOT affiliated with any doll company, creator or manufacturer.
Please send your questions and requests to Nancy at nancylee@nancyleemoran.com
or by phone: 402-274-3040 Central Time
All rights reserved. All art and photos on the site are protected by copyright © law.
Each may only be reproduced with written permission of the artist. Site page design copyrighted © by Nancy Lee Moran.
Thank you for visiting Nancy Lee Moran's website!
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