August 7, 2010: Celebrating the Gullah Tradition in Mixed Media Doll Making

Through the art of doll making, I will embark on a spiritual journey, leading me back to a heritage that is a wonderful fusion of African traditions and Southern American history.

As an artist, speaker, and through workshops, I will celebrate the folklore, language, and art of Gullah people. I invite you to be inspired by this unique culture and the beautiful stories it has to tell... ...I will combine the history of doll making from the Gullah perspective with a demonstration of mixed media doll making techniques. Participants will learn the art of doll making and create their own doll.

Where?: Smithsonian Anacostia Museum
1901 Fort Place, SE
Washington, DC

When?: Saturday, August 7, 2010

What time?: 11:00am - 3:00pm

For more information and to sign up contact the Anacostia Museum

Musings from the Art Studio

Here is one of my latest art dolls on canvas.

A large doll which I am naming Diana- after Diana Ross of course!

Hi as promised, I am showing some of my latest art doll work that I have been putting together as part of a series. These are part of the Natural Woman Art Doll Series I am creating. They are made from sticks that I have found outside my doll studio in Riverdale Park, Maryland. I was inspired to create these from the Transformational Doll Making class I took earlier this year. These will be on exhibit with more dolls shortly.

Decorating with Dolls

What if you just can’t find the perfect place to display your dolls? Create one yourself! There are dozens of spaces available in your home:

your foyer
your stairway
your window seat
your bed
your living room

just find the one that works for you!

Coordinate dolls and accents with your room's architectural features, color and furniture for a more permanent display of dolls.

One of my collectors had their home redecorated by my design firm, Design Scheme Interiors, LLC. For their foyer, they decided to have dolls created to add to their vast collection of artwork. Well see above. We also created clothes to change with the seasons.

Dolls can provide a wonderful burst of color to any room. Consider your dolls, the location and opportunity to display them as an accent.