Thank you stranger and a merry christmas!

I ´m spamming you today, right? Well, I just had to share something wonderful: I´ve been looking for a used food processor for quite a while now, but without any luck. At Facebook there were this lady cleaning out her kitchen cabinets, and was giving away a lot of stuff. I was just making a little joke, and asked if she would happen to have an old food processor. The day aften another stranger wrote me in a private message, that she had one, and if I wanted it, I could have it for free!!! WOW!! My faith in hunamity is restored!! Of course I had to try it at once it was brought home, and it is just perfect for my needs! When I started sculpting Hannah, I spent an entire evening conditioning an old large packet of Kato polymer clay, and had to put lots of smoothing oil to make it softer. (I wonder if one can use baby oil in stead?)
I was so happy to see that this machine did the job in a few minutes. The food processor also warmed the clay (from the friction) as well as choppeb it into small bits! Now I can run it through the pasta machine a couple of hundred times, and the job is done!

A very special thanks to Cecilie Sommer!!

Please welcome Hannah (Part 6)

Part 1: http://www.solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/10/starting-new-art-doll-please-welcome.html
Part 2: http://www.solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/11/please-welcome-hannah-part-2.html
Part 3 :http://www.solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/11/hannah-has-got-new-ears-and-hands.html
Part 4: http://solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/11/hannah-is-coming-along-nicely-now-with.html
Part 5: http://solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/11/please-welcome-hannah-part-5.html

Hannah is coming along nicely, and I want to show you her progress.
I have worked on her body, and give her more qulit batting. I don´t know if she is done. She is still a bit skinny, so I won´t dress her just yet.
I have painted her face. I do acrylic washes. She has emerald green eyes now. Hannash also needs eyelashes. I have some fake one from Hong Kong and will try to use them.
Her hair is almost done. The orange color was wrong, so I changed my mind and gave her dark brown. She is just adorable, and I cant wait to make her hat and dress!

Please welcome Hannah (part 5)

Links to previous posts about Hannah:
http://www.solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/10/starting-new-art-doll-please-welcome.html
http://www.solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/11/please-welcome-hannah-part-2.html
http://www.solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/11/hannah-has-got-new-ears-and-hands.html
http://www.solannsworld.blogspot.dk/2013/11/hannah-is-coming-along-nicely-now-with.html

 Oh dear, has it already been 14 days since I last posted something? Things have been kinda crazy around here lately, and I haven´t had time to blog!
Well, tonight I have several things to show you!
I´ve been working on Hannah, and she is coming along nicely. First I would like to share some of my experiences with baking "Magic Sculpt" in the oven. Yesterday, I was watching a dvd with my husband, and spent most of the evening sculpting Hannah´s feet in front of the tv.  I thought she needed some heavy weight on her feets to stabelize her body, so I used Magic Sculpt. It is heavy and very sturdy. My plan was to cover them both with black polymer clay after. This was the result of several hours of work:

See? They fell over in the oven, and I could not move them at all. The clay was already rock hard! 

Notice, that I am using brass tubes. This allow me to work on her feet seperatly, and attach them to her body at a later stage in the process. Don´t you just hate to repeat your work all over again? I surely do!

The next couple of feet was accually better looking so nothing is not good for nothing

I thought her armature was a bit soft, so I added a lot of wooden sticks to her arms and legs. I also put some tiny on her shoulders. Remember to seperate the sticks on the joints, or else your doll will become very stiff and not very poseable.

I used my sketch to make her proportions correct. It is not always necessary, but this particular doll is going to have the correct body. Sometimes I make dolls that don´t have correct proportions, and Hannah´s hands and feets are too big anyway. I like them like that.

It´s fun to play with her pose!

 These are my second couple of feet!

Look how I use my little helper to make them stand and not bend over. I fastened toothpicks to my little helper and put them into the brass rods. Worked amazingly!

Here Hannah is already standing nicely on her own. The Magic Sculpt gives her extra weigth.

I also used Magic Sculpt to stabilize other parts of her armature wich else could bend too easy. I don´t want her to bend funny after she has got all here clothes on. 

I also attached the hands with Magic Sculpt. This product can be used for so many things! But be carefull. It´s an epoxy material. 

Playing around with her pose a little again. 

She sit´s very well!

Okay, here is what I have for now. I made her cool witchy boots with black Kato Polyclay. They turned out just fine! I really liked them! Kato is not my favorite brand, because I find it very hard and hard to condition. 

I just wanted to use the rest of a big chunk I had lying around. 

 How did I use to survive without my pastamachine?

I wrapped Hannah with lots of strips of qulit batting. She still need more, but I have to stop for tonight. 

I just cut out strips, and attach them with a hot glue gun. Nice and easy. I used some cotton balls pompoms on her knees and elbows. 

Hannah wil have orange hair! I have this fantastic Tibetan lamb fur, and I think she´ll look stunning with it. I just can´t wait to start working on her again, but I´ll have to wait untill Tuesday evening, because tomorrow is family visit. Untill then, I can start planning on her costume. I´m thinking a large Victorian black dress! 

What are your ideas? 

Wonderful puppet shows this weekend!

I love puppets! Whenever I can get a chance, I go see a puppet show. This weekend in a danish town called Silkeborg, they have a annual festival called: "Festival of Wonder". 4 days of fantastic puppetshows, both international and domestic. I usually see a couple of shows every year, and this weekend I´m going to se two very interesting shows.

The first one is:

Train Theatre, Israel: The Chelem Legend, Fool Moon

In Denmark we all know Molbo stories. There are many tales about a group of people we laugh at and love at the same time.

Jews have similar stories about people from the Polish town Chelem.

This is the background of the story The Chelem Legend - Fool Moon, in which Lemech and Layzer take a magical journey to find a new moon, instead of the old one which was stolen!

The story unfolds in a huge pop-up book, aided by puppets and shadows. Galia Levy-Grad performs this lively tale together with a Danish translator.

The show is accompanied by original Klezmer music.

The next show later the same evening is this:

Theatre du Rugissant, France: In the eye of Judas / Dans l’OEil du Judas

Old Giacomo is dying. His mind is already confused and he is viewing reality as if through a prism. During the night memories and images of his past invade his loneliness.
The building where he grew up is still standing, ice cold and frightening at the top of the town. The drama he experienced there is seen through his own childhood eyes and memories. His memories take us from one apartment to another. We walk the hallways and catch bits of human nature playing out in a door opening or in a stairwell.
We observe the building as if a camera is fixed in the eye of the narrator. We see everything in a new light, an optical illusion, contrast between light and shade, twisted. “In the eye of Judas” is a tale of restlessness, racism and lost love, and we see how ordinary people, influenced by group pressure and hateful opinions, can change into terrible tormentors.
Adding to the dramatic nature of the performance, the audience will experience fantastic set design, music and outstanding puppet manipulation.
Come and take a look through the key hole, if you dare.

I just can´t wait! Next Tuesday I´m going to see a third show. It´s the fantastic dutch puppeteer Neville Tranter!

Stuffed Puppet Theatre, Holland: Punch and Judy in Afghanistan

Nigel, a puppeteer, has come to Afghanistan to entertain the allied troops. His assistant Emilie goes sightseeing, riding on a camel. The flash from Nigel’s camera frightens the camel, which runs off in panic with Emilie on its back.

 Nigel tries to find his assistant, a search which brings him to Tora Bora, where he encounters Punch Bin Laden. Nigel is in extreme danger but survives to discover what has happened to Emilie.

 Besides the naive Nigel we meet the heartless TV reporter, who is only interested in sensationalism, and the nervous UN soldier, who is out of place in these harsh regions.

 Punch Bin Laden and his bloodthirsty wife, Judy, seem to be in complete control of the situation. They amuse themselves with playing cat and mouse with Nigel.

 A humorous, unique and thought provoking interpretation of the old Punch and Judy tradition.

I think I´ll get lots and lots of inspiration from these talentes artists.

Saturday I´m participating in a abstract portrait paint course. I cant wait to show you the result!

Vampire doll (Vampyrella) Part 1

I am making a vampire doll :-) She´ll be just great!

I received nice photo frame settings today

I just love theese! I like to sculpt tiny faces. 

They are so fun to make, and I can´t wait until I´ve finished them with washes and a little hat. 

Theese new silver tone frames will be so much fun! 

Heksehoved fortsat

Link til det første WIP indlæg

Er hun ikke ved at være skøn? 

Jeg har givet hende flere farvebad med brændt umbra og burgundy, for at fremhæve detaljer, men ikke risikere at der kommer malerstrøg på ansigtet. 

Jeg håber at jeg bliver færdig med hende i morgen aften. Jeg mangler kun at lime hovedet fast på lærredet, lave en flot knejsende heksehat og male lidt detaljer på billedet.

Her er en YouTube med en australsk kunstner som viser hvordan man laver farvebadene på dukken:

Nye billeder af "Christmas Birdy"

Jeg er ved at skulle sende min Christmas-Birdy til USA, og tænkte, at jeg ville tage et par ordentlige billeder af figuren, inden jeg aldrig skulle se den igen. Jeg riggede op hele mit photoudstyr, og blev igen meget overrasket over, hvordan figurer tager sig helt anderledes ud, når der bliver taget ordentlige billeder med rigtig belysning:

Jeg tog lige nogle flere, og lægger dem ud i de rigtige mapper efter de er lagt ud i dette indlæg.

Resten af Christmas Birdy kommer længere nedenunder her:

Ny figur: "Christmas Bird"

Jeg laver en figur til en amerikansk dame. Det hele er en del af en jule-leg, hvor man får tildelt en person som man skal lave en jule-figur til. Det skal sendes inden den 1. oktober, så jeg kan ikke bruge for meget tid på pjat. Jeg startede med et armature af ståltråd og staniol. 

Så modellerede jeg fugleben i sort cernit.

Ansigtet blev lavet med staniol base og super sculpy. Øjnene er sorte glasperler.

Hals bliver moddeleret og det hele styrkes med Magiv epoxy Sculpt.

Staniol og malertape er indersiden af kroppen.

Fin, ik?

Jeg bruger langhåret fårepels til kroppen. Klipper det af i passende længder og limer med superlim.

Grøn halestuds og lange sorte øjenvipper.

Come and give us a little kiss!

Nu mangler jeg en nissehat og matlak på ansigtet, så skulle hun være klar :-)

Kys-kys!

Om at finde sin egen stil...

Hejsa. I dag tænker jeg lidt over det at have en "stil". Mange kunstnere kan genkendes på stilen, og man er somme tider ikke i tvivl, når man ser et kunstværk, om hvem der er kunstneren. Kunstneren skaber et æstetisk udtryk, ud igennem et personligt "sprog". Jeg tror, at en stor del af det at finde et autentisk personligt udtryk, ofte handler om, at finde en personlig stil.

Personligt, så tror jeg først og fremmest, at jeg er på vej imod at finde et udtryk og en stil, men jeg tror også, at jeg er en person som skøjter en smule mellem stilarter og udtryk, så de forskellige ting får forskellige udtryk. Forvirret?

Jeg har igennem 3-4 år fulgt dukkekunstnere på internettet. Jeg kigger på deres dukker, materialer, budskab, teknik og commersialitet. Jeg beundrer og kritiserer. Jeg er misundelig og fyldt op med håb og fortrøstning om, at jeg også selv kan skabe den slags. Jeg ville så inderligt gerne kunne være en del af et netværk af dukkekunstnere, som kunne inspirere og dele hinandens glæde ved denne kunstart.

For mig er det at skabe en destruktiv handling. Når jeg arbejder med noget, så er jeg opløftet og tændt, men jeg er også i krise. Lige nu skal jeg lave hænder på denne figur, som du kan se øverst. Jeg planlægger og skaber dem inde i hovedet, men er meget utryg og angst for at gå i gang praktisk. Hvorfor? Jo, fordi det gør så ondt når jeg ikke kan finde ud af det! Når jeg ikke kan genskabe det, som jeg kan se for mig. For at det skal lykkes, skal jeg arbejde mig igennem lag på lag af tanker og følelser. Tankerne som skaber utryghed er af slagsen, som skaber præstationsangst. Jeg er bange for, at jeg ikke kan! Jeg tilhører ikke den slags heroisk kunstnertype, som kaster sig over materialet, og bliver drevet af en infernalsk trang til at udforske og skabe. Jeg har alt for meget i hovedet....

Men, jeg kan se, at de figurer som jeg dog arbejder med, alle har et udtryk, som jeg kan genkende. De er lidt groteske, har humor og så vil de gerne fortælle en historie! For mig er dukken ingenting, hvis den ikke fortæller en historie. Det kan være historien om en følelse, en tanke, et liv, en skæbne, eller bare noget andet. Fra teorier om animationsdukker, har jeg lært at mindre er bedre. Alle detaljer peger på dét, som jeg vil fortælle. Jeg giver ikke dukken overflødige detaljer, som forvirrer historien.

Denne dukke som jeg er i gang med, skal bruges til et amerikansk dukkeforums Halloween challenge (udfordring). Jeg kalder hende "SunFlower Hilda". Hun er en gammel heks, som sidder på knæ og taler med/beundrer en solsikke. Hun er venlig, men kraftfuld. Hun tilhører ikke en almindelig heksetradition, så jeg vil ikke give hende tilbehør som kost, kat eller omvendte kors. Hun er en slags Moder-Jord type.

Tom-Birdy

Jeg arbejder en smule med en figur som jeg kalder "Tom-Birdy". Han er en blanding af dreng og fugl. Den skulle laves til en "udfordring" på et amerikansk dukke forum, men jeg blev aldrig helt færdig med figuren inden tidsfristen udløb.

Lidt om fremstillingsprocessen: Tom-Birdy er lavet af cernit, på et rustfrit ståltråds armature. Der er staniol indeni kroppen, og malertape udenom det hele. Hans øjne er en enkelt sort glasperle. Oprindeligt havde han en meget længere næse, men jeg måtte skære en del fra, fordi det kom til at ligne en meget lang penis....

Han historie er ikke helt klar, men jeg føler han er en sjov figur. Han ser faktisk lidt streng ud, men jeg tror han er ret venlig. Lidt selvhøjtidelig måske?

Jeg mangler at lave hans ben færdig. De skal ligne menneskefingre, med negle og det hele. Kroppen skal være fjer, og han skal da have en ordentlig struttende fjer på hovedet? Jeg har en ret god fornemmelse for, at han bliver god :-)

Fantastisk dukkemager fra Canada

Alaexander Mergold er en af mine favorit dukkekunstnere. Han laver både ooak artdolls og animationsfigurer. Det er virkelig facsinerende at se, hvordan han kæler for detaljerne, og får både meget levende ansigter og historier frem. Det er virkelig et besøg værd, at kigge forbi hans hjemmeside eller Etsy-shop.

Alexander arbejder med polymer clay (cernit eller supersculpy) og det er dette medies utrolige anvendelsesmulighed, der gør, at man kan lave helt fantastiske dukker.

Mit barnebarn er en nisse...

Dette er mit barnebarn. På dette billede har han lige fået en ny hue, som desværre viste sig, at være en smule for stor. Man kan også se, ud fra hans ansigtsudtryk, at dette faktum er han meget, meget utilfreds med...

Senere, efter at jeg kom til at kigge på billederne, opdagede jeg, at hans ansigtsudtryk var ret fascinerende. Han ligner en gammel, sur nisse! Jeg har studeret billedet flere gange, og har bestemt mig for, at lave hans ansigt som en nisse i cernit, som en dukke. Figuren skal hedde "Mr. Grumpy", og er en lille fyr som lever i granskoven. Han er altid sur, og bryder sig bestemt ikke om mennesker.

Bloggens små skridt fremad...

Jeg arbejder lidt frem og tilbage med at lave et fint layout på denne side! Det er ikke så nemt som man skulle tro...

Jeg ville have et logo som viste på en enkel måde, hvad jeg gerne ville udtrykke, og valget blev et enkelt billede af min figur. Han er stadig på under bearbejdning, men det går stille og roligt fremad.

Billedet jeg har valgt til logoet, er enkelt, stilrent og uden for mange detaljer. Jeg syntes han passer rigtigt fint som mit udtryk udadtil. Han er en af de første dukker jeg har lavet i cernit, som jeg faktisk er tilfreds med... Han har mange fejl, men det er ligemeget. Jeg opnåede det udtryk som jeg gerne ville :-)

Jeg vil fortsætte med at vise hvordan jeg kommer fremad med ham.