Holidays are here!!

And this is my view - so happy.

Lament

I have been thinking that perhaps I need to change my blog's title to the Teachers Lament, for I mourn the loss of my former life. It is a horror time of year for teachers - reporting, as are Mondays!!  I was going to write an incredibly witty diatribe about teaching but think I will refrain. I will say that it is one of the hardest, most stressful and time consuming jobs I have ever had, for many many reasons.  The rewards are becoming fewer and fewer and the demands greater and greater each year. I find myself constantly questioning my will to continue.
So a few things have been sustaining me over this time - walking, turning left onto the tree lined road that leads to the farm at the end of the day, watching the paddocks turn from green to brown and following the blogs of people doing what they love.  Jude Hill of Sprit Cloth is one of those, sustaining and indeed inspiring - thankyou. I have even started a small cloth of my own, I had forgotten the joy of hand stitching and how soothing it is to an anxious mind.

Thanks Akira!!

Wow, it's been a hugely long hiatus from blogging but I am still here.  I've recently returned from a five day work shop hosted by FibresWest with the legendary Akira Blount.  I am speechless with gratitude at being able to attend this workshop.  I had become somewhat stuck with the dolls I was working on - just couldn't get past the limbs!!  I've also had my personal time severely reduced by my return to full time work in May. The dolls have suffered enormously as a result.  The opportunity to spend a whole week on a lovely campus in Bunbury having all of my domestic needs taken care of and being able to doll from 7am to 9pm was an invaluable boost to my soul.  Not to mention some profound self reflections on my future directions - enough of that though, needs a little more manifesting.  Here are some pics of the girl I completed during the workshop.  It was so wonderful to meet other enthusiastic doll artists, making dolls is usually done in solitude it was a nice change to work in such a social atmosphere - sharing ideas, tips and tricks.

Cheeky Chickens

Today bloke started clearing out the shearing shed, decades of really important stuff that might come in handy - as you can see. And what did he find in the corner?

Pina and Bruce Schwartz

I found a clip for this movie on Sweet Bestiary's blog - looks amazing!! I'm already thinking of how to use this as inspiration along with the puppetry of Bruce Schwartz to work on the ADO marionette challenge.  I have big beautiful ideas brewing.

Wrapped

This girl interrupted all my efforts to continue with the sculpted dolls, I think she is a moment of self reflection manifest in a doll.  She burst out of me in a matter of hours - I feel much better now.

Girls on their way and Akira Blount!

Here is my box full of girls, just busting to get out - I am dedicating the next week to them, oh joyous holidays.

I'm also sooo very excited I have been on a waiting list to participate in a 5 day Akira Blount workshop in October and yesterday I found out I'm in.  Yay!!!

Figure with feather wings

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joy Ride

Imparting Wisdom

I'm still here!!

I'm still here and it's bitterly cold!!  I liken outside to a wind scoured tundra, I am on holidays however and have seven girls on the go.  I have moved production into the house to try and stay warm and dry limbs in the oven. I've been sidetracked this morning (not the first time) by the videos of this amazing Japanese BJD artist.

Arabel and the loss of time!

Oh such slow progress on all the things I apparently love to do yet have the greatest capacity to avoid!  Here is Arabel finished - she was for the ADO Forest Folk challenge.  Queen of all the dark and murky realms rarely seen by human eyes. 

I have mentioned before that I am a teacher and before my move to the farm I taught full time.  Since my move I've been unable to secure a position at the local school where I wanted to work - until now!!  I am back in the classsroom full time with a year 3/4 class.  This is such a mixed blessing whilst I am sooo excited to not travel such large distances to work (previously commuting to the city) and weekly seperation from my bloke  not to mention a fabulous group of kids and great colleagues. I now find that my head is again filled with other peoples children and not my own art work or doll making.  Perhaps this is my problem and not one solely associated with the nature of full time teaching.  I fear either because it means my time and head space are fairly full.  So I shall think that any new girls will be few and far between from here on in.  I'll continue to subdue the small part of my mind scolding me for not taking further opportunities to create when I wasn't working.

On the workbench!!

I've used my new phone with the retro camera application (plus I can just email the photo to myself).  Not so good for close ups or clarity but I like the effect.  I'll take more detailed ones shortly and WIP's.  I'm hoping to finish this lot off in the next couple of weeks. 

Laura Marling

Not much dolling going on around here, but I did hear this which has me spellbound!!

I'm not a good farmer

Here so far, is one of the lucky ones.  

We have been in drought for a while and the seasons have been harsh, the lambing has begun and it's harsh.  The ewes are doing ok but lots are abandoning their lambs and foxes are taking their share. Such losses of course are a normal part of farming.  This is where I am not a good farmer.  I hear their high pitched plaintive cries and I immediately set about determining what's going on.  I walk down fence lines checking to see if they are stuck, I stand out on hills surveying the mix ups, which lamb belongs to which ewe - they sometimes get confused.  The cry from a distressed lamb is something I am still not able to deal with unemotionally.  Yesterday I sat on a rock in the paddock and had a little cry for them.

I'm featured in an Etsy Treasury - my first time!!

'They all wore black' by Skunkhollow

Vanessies $	OOAK Halloween Witc... bonniebj $110.00	Jinx, a One of a K... cottonwoolbaby... $1600.00
Wednesday Addams Ar... mlbstudios $249.00	OOAK Polymer Clay F... oddfae $500.00	Aggie - Print in Bl... EvelynsWonderl... $17.00
Zoya a Papier Mache... nancyperennec $265.00	Indigo ll SophiaLaLa $90.00	Loopy Art Doll Fine... loopyboopy $
Twisted Poppets 1 -... filialunadesig... $365.00	Gothic Raggedy Ann ... katandthefiddl... $75.00	Faries Imp ADO Pin ... DebiDesigns $48.00
Millie, a 7-inch cl... Daffidolls $26.00	Angela Monlith - OO... newagedolls $165.00	SALE Miss Hannah -F... tatteredmoon $138.00
Betty Boop Cloth Do... DollMakersMuse $10.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

The Girls!!

These girls were actually meant to be christmas presents for some friends of mine - here they are finished finally!!  All the cloth dolls are out of the way now, I can start getting these clay girls out of my head!

Travelling Doll Project

I am involved in the TDP this year through ADO, I have sent off my blank girl to Susie McMahon with her journal. She shall be returning to me some months down the track completely finished after also visiting Grace at Little Black Crow Studio. It's so exciting we all get to work on each others dolls and play in their journals before they go home.
The idea for the character came about on a camping trip in the South West of WA when I was indeed collecting little bones.  

Little Bones

Slips quietly through the bush

Footfalls quick as a wren

Hair flying

Dilly bag flung over shoulder

Moonlit skin

Gossamer threads

Stopped now hunched over a find

Collecting little bones.

Shaun Tan WINS Academy Award

Yay, Shaun Tan - absolute dead set legend won the Academy Award (are they oscars??) in the animated short category with The Lost Thing.

ADO Featured Artist

I have had the honour of being a featured artist on the ADO blog - yay!!

Click to follow the link.

OWOH Winner - oops very late sorry!!

So sorry, it's very late to announce my winner, our demolished farm got in the way a bit. 
Congratulations to Judy from A New York Magpie's Eye, Penelope shall be on her way when she knows where to go.
Thankyou so much to all of the wonderful visitors and all the lovely comments you left.  It came at a very good time as our farm was devastated by a storm on the 31st Jan. Whenever I got the generator going and hopped online I was greeted by such encouraging comments.  Unfortunately I was unable to visit many blogs but once we get the power on properly I shall peruse back through the comments and come visiting!!

Made it to Etsy!!!

I have finally managed to put something in my Etsy shop.  I have had to overcome quite a lot of fear - strangely, but they're out there now.  I sold the 3 sculpted dolls I put in the exhibition in December so I think that greatly helped my "will people like them, are they ok etc"  confidence.  Being involved in OWOH is great for the ego too, lots of wonderful comments!!  It's a beautiful thing to be able to read them as they come in.  So Indigo ll and Celine enter the Etsy arena!!  My OWOH post is still below this one - don't know how to get it to stay on top.

Celine

Indigo ll

One World One Heart

ONE WORLD ONE HEART

An international event for bloggers!

Hello welcome to Sophia-LaLa the home of art dolls made by me - Kailee!

This is Penelope, my door prize who is just itching to fly away. 

 

I met a farmer fell in love and now live on a small sheep farm in country Western Australia. I am a primary school teacher and have found it difficult to find a job in the country; consequently I have a lot of extra time. Earlier in 2010 I found Etsy quite by accident and was blown away by the whole online Art Doll world. I have had a yearning to make dolls for a long time and found my answer. I completed a visual arts degree majoring in textiles before I became a teacher so I have had some experience in making things which has held me in good stead for doll making. Needless to say I have spent vast amounts of time trawling the internet and blogs, ordering books and materials on my lonesome doll quest. I am drawn to the dark and melancholic aesthetic. 

Thankyou so much for stopping by I hope to see lots of your blogs and make many blog friends, be sure to check out the rest of the participants OWOH!
Simply leave one comment on this post to go into the draw to win Penelope. Winner announced on Feb 17!