beginning for beginners!

A very warm welcome to my first blog post – let me tell you the story of the first doll I created and my journey into dollmaking.

In my studio

I don’t have formal art training, but I have expressed my creative side through the textile arts for as long as I can remember – dressmaking, crochet, weaving, knitting, spinning, embroidery, needlefelting, etc. Then came the pandemic. An enforced re-evaluation.

I found solace in the local woodland…

…then retreated to my craft space in the eaves of my home in Kent.

Here, I allowed my hands to play and create – my inner world was drawn outwards into a tangible external form and my first doll emerged, while I was still asking myself, “what is a doll?” 

so, what is a doll?

Dolls are small scale representations of the human form that have been part of many civilisations for thousands of years – their importance extends well beyond the playthings found in every modern toybox. The earliest recorded examples of dolls date back to the civilisations of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. There is evidence that these dolls were children’s playthings, but that they were also devices of enormous cultural significance – often being used in spiritual practice, important rituals and in the education of children. It was believed that they could hold magical powers and be vehicles for both curses and healing.

Fast forward to 15th century Germany, where the roots of modern dollmaking took hold – Germany’s skilled artisans went on to lead the dollmaking world throughout the 16th 18th centuries. Today, most dolls are mass-produced, meaning that creators can speedily imitate the whims of fashion and celebrity to satisfy a hungry market. We have also seen the development of a brand new digital arena, where screen dolls can be dressed, housed dolls and interacted with!

creating my first doll

I began with a wire armature, rough and ready.

I explored the gesture of an outstretched hand. Her flesh is masking tape, set with papier mache.

Real clothes. Vintage textiles, crafted to her shape.

My first doll was created intuitively, without honed skills, without a careful plan. With her sat in my hand, I was struck hard by the powerful connection I felt to this new being. She embodied so much that I simply didn’t have words for. I was so excited by this experience of a new way to communicate that I looked around for more inspiration. I stumbled across and became deeply inspired by Barb Kobe’s “The Healing Doll Way”.

In this beautiful publication, Barb examines many of the ancient cultural uses of dolls and focuses on the doll’s ability to tell stories that words cannot. Moreover, she shares how powerful personal transformations that can take place when indivduals use dollmaking to share their inner world. Barb allows us a glimpse into her “transformative experience becoming a healing doll artist” and also guides the reader through the process of making healing dolls for yourself; a process of “imagination, recovery and growth”.

beginning my dollmaking practice

From Barb’s wise words, I embarked on a series of dolls which would explore my inner world and lead to my developing dollmaking skills. I shall be sharing more about this journey in future posts, but for now, I shall leave you with that little girl who inspired a life-changing journey.

An outstretched hand, an open face – “all smiles”. She’ll place her hand in yours and run with you along the sea front. A bump of a breeze will scoop up her kite, it’s tail reaching towards the sun. Her bubbly curls bounce as she turns her face to meet yours – what joy and possibility dance together in that moment – can we play?

“Invitation – can we play?”

let’s do this again!

I am humbled and delighted to have created this special space for my dollmaking practice. I welcome you warmly and can’t wait to tell you more – comment your thoughts and let’s get to know each other!