December Progress - Hyakki Dondoro

Currently, I am working on a Japanese figure holding a puppet fashioned after those of the Hyakki Dondoro, a group founded by Master Hoichi Okamoto in 1974. I’ve been fascinated by the life-sized puppets and masks he created. Performances include works based on Japanese legends or people’s hidden emotional world. Often the puppeteer plays a character interacting with the puppet. The word “hyakki” means “unlimited spirits,” the idea that the puppet is a vessel that receives the human spirit.

Dec. 21 Update:

It’s three days before Christmas and I’ve finished “The Spirit Puppet,” as I’ve decided to call this figure. With the holidays and a three-week vacation in January, I won’t be back to doll making until February. My next figure will involve a dragon. Can’t wait!

Posey the Pixie

It seems like the days fly by and my work takes on such a slow pace! Posey is a doll that’s been in the works for quite a while. It’s fun making figures of children, but I really want to do more adult figures. This comes out of a love of sculpting the full adult figure, which up until now, I have satisfied with sculpting classes using water-based clay.

So, Posey will be my “last child” for awhile. She’s nearly finished. Hopefully in the next week I can post photos.

Morrigan Complete

Morrigan, my first fully sculpted adult figure is finished! I have been taking sculpting lessons using water-based clay for three years. These figures are then fired in a kiln, as an art sculpture. All of these sculpts are of adults in poses determined by the live model in the class. For the first time, I tried sculpting with polymer clay in the class. While it turned out to be extremely difficult to sculpt fast enough (water-based clay is easier to move around), it resulted in Morrigan. I’m pleased with how she turned out and have entered her in the online contest I mentioned in the last post. We’ll see how she does!

Update: Morrigan won the Intermediate category in the International Art Doll Registry September contest. It’s gratifying to know I’m making progress with my art. Each figure is a challenge to improve upon. I have no doubt that it will be this way until I am no longer able to do this thing I love!