Dolls Dolls and More Dolls!

These past few weeks I have been making dolls non-stop.  I don't want to do anything else!  I'm having so much fun imagining different characters and then figuring out how to make them a reality.   At each step I find that I discover a new technique (usually by accident) and I love that I never know what is going to happen next.  

At first I thought I wanted to simply make hand painted dolls like these:

But then, I started thinking about fabric and yarn, and decided to play with some more traditional doll making supplies.  My next dolls were still handpainted, but added more fiber elements.  

These are some of the next dolls that I made: 

Each time I made a doll I learned something new, and I think that is the most exciting part of it for me.  Making these dolls is such a departure from the paintings that I have gotten so comfortable with.  And so, while I will probably always paint--I've worked too hard for too long to stop painting now--- I am so excited to find something new to learn.  I find the 3 dimensionality satisfying as well--I love that when I am done I have something to hold--a new character who didn't exist before.  I'm also motivated by the surprise of it all--the fact that before this summer I had no idea how to sew and these dolls were not even something I could imagine---is so exciting and keeps me wanting more.

Plus, I think they like hanging out together, don't you?