Sculpture: Pupazza

the other steps and the inside:

Pupa or pupazza:a particular

The next step of my Pupa (or Pupazza)...I am working on the body and on the inside of the body (a surprise!). This is the face with moustaches!

Pupa or Pupazza

The Pupe or Pupazze are wonderful and original flasks of terracotta with the moustasches. In full Middle Ages, as many know, we had a law called "jus primae NOCTIS",which granted the right to the noble and feudatory to spend the first wedding night with the bride (Latin for law -or right-of the first night).

But a furious and jealous husband decided to arise, dressed as a woman, in the bed of the noble but he forgot to shave his moustasches. Of course he was put on trial and, to save his life, (as he risked the decapitation) he was ordered to produce an excellent wine to be put in special flasks in ceramics, representing this dressing up, precisely "pupae".

The pupae are produced in South Italy, Puglia, the land of my mother where I was born and the town is called Grottaglie, very famous for its wonderful ceramics.

These are the first steps of my Pupa.

Messenger

'Oh mi gosh- it is wonderful!!! The colors are fabulous, the feeling is very organic- like something from a garden. I love the way you did the edges.
It's just super! Dayle Doroshow'


'Hi Stef- I can't get onto the message board at the moment- but wanted to let you know your dolls are FANTABULOUS!!!! Dayle Doroshow'


Thanks Dayle...but your class on Messengers and Storytellers is a great class!

An artistic project....searching hearts

Radzat has promoted an initiative...'Find one from you're part of the world and to make this even easier....take a photo of it and send me the photo and I'll do the same for you. That way we don't even have to go to the mailbox. :) But still we can connect, heart to heart', says Marilyn..and so, dear Marilyn...I'm 'practicing' my view.
Hands like Hearts

Mushroom class

Marilyn Radzat is an energetic teacher...and this is a particular of the Mushroom class, I have just finished to revise the texture of it!




Apoxie Sculpt, a special 'sand' paint, inks, Swarowski, flowers, gourd, aluminium....

The inner child:wind, healing, flowers... the sight and...

A strange day:Scent of Spring and embroidery coloured flowers
swollen clouds full of rain...




An electric light, and dry.

Suspended time.

I have been listening the wind for a couple of minutes....



A good day for 'messengers and storytellers', from the class of Dayle Doroshow (http://www.thatcreativeplace.com/html/dayle_doroshow.html and Dayle's website http://www.dayledoroshow.com/).

These are Storyteller Dolls, made with the Millefiore technique...They are not finished, but I want to give you an idea of the fun work we are doing with Dayle!




Lisa Gatz (http://www.thatcreativeplace.com/), the fantastic creator of these classes, says
'This class will give you fresh visions and open new possibilities for your own work!'

This strange day was very creative and fun, perfect!

The electricity of the air has moved my creative spirit, a real blessing!

Sunday Morning:"Finding Your Child Within",the sight,the hearing,the smell and the touch

Sunday Morning.
Poetto, Cagliari's sea.
I connected with the nature and my inner child, an experiment from Nancy Azara's book, Spirit Taking Form: "When you are an artist, you can again see the world with the eyes of the child-with the 'beginner's eyes' and the 'beginner's mind'..."
"Notice everything.Touch it too, if you can" says Azara.
So...I was walking and I noticed the sand. I noticed the surface and the texture, black and white, sand matt and sand glittering. The footsteps of hundreds of feet create an invisible and mysterious people. These footsteps seems the movement of a human tide that is gone. To the left, my shadow: I am the witness of this transhumance...
The sea.
A sea noisy, sometimes frightening, but clean and fresh. A strong smell of salt and algae. A white and cheerful foam which seems a lace that comes and goes.
"Breath and breath"-says Nancy Azara-" watch yourself be with your breath"...
I was almost hypnotized by the waves of the sea and observing the embroidery of blue and green waves, when suddenly a ray of Sun has broken down the colors of the waves and changed the natural painting. The embroidery of water has become a mosaic of shells, algae and gurgles of water!
Fantastic, a fabric of water and plants!

I have decide to take home a treasure for my sculptures. Without a specific idea.

Only shapes and forms. Shapes like wood, shells, stones, sand...relax relax relax... eat for my spirit and water for my dolls...refresh your eyes:this sunday morning is the time for stones. A strange couple, but very interesting: stones and water.


The sea is now far and lives in my inner child. I became a stone, I'm a stone. (and a shell, and...)And this is my treasure, and your WHAT IS?

Pupa:Metamorfosi

Metamorphosis: This is a woman, ok, but this is a Guardian that walks to The Life, with rose plumes and rose buttons and...fabric leaves, trims, decorations. She walks to a life light and elegant as a plume. The ornaments are the surface of an intense soul.

Apoxie Sculpt on Gourds, aluminium foils, buttons (rose and mother of pearls), italian trims, white wool, Prosculpt, fabric leaves, plumes.

This is the first sculpture for the 'Healing doll class' with Barb Kobe. The next will be the Guardian (see the sketch under this post)

Sketch: The Guardian

After a dream...the title is 'the diving suit and the bud'...Barb Kobe the owner of 'healing doll' class, tells me:'WOW! I do hope you make this into a doll!'

This is the first sketch after a long long dream.... Some problems on the definition...the roots, the leaves..materials, transforming ideas...I'm 'cooking' the idea into my mind...

Needle and clay

'...Finally, just so you don’t go away without some new doll art to look at, artist Stefania Morgante has posted an interview with Croatian artist Nives Cicin-Sain on her blog, Gufobardo, so check it out. Stay tuned for more artist interviews on her site coming in future months....'Hi, Stefania, I would love to include a link to your blog on mine.Tea Rose

Sculpting class:The Character Head with Bill Nelson

I take a class from Bill Nelson on making character heads. Wonderful to see his works and drawings. He is so different from me!... but it inspired me to try to do something my own style…so this is the head I’ve sculpted….no colors or hairs for the moment...

For the first time I used Super Sculpey. It's a little different from Prosculpt: the color, the texture and the clay is matt. It's s big head! about 7 inches tall.

On doll making in Europe:innovative papier-maché artist

This is an interview made by me for the CDAA Newsletter. I'm the reporter from Europe on dollmaking.

The papier-maché artist is Nives Cicin-Sain. She lives in Split, Croatia.

Listen our voices...

What is The Doll for you?
-N. For me as sculptress who is interested in human
form and figurative art is just one more way
to express myself

What do you think about European
dollmaking?
-N. There are many different styles and materials
that dollmakers are working in, so I cannot have
opinion in general. I prefer doll as artistic object
and I can say that there are much artisan (craft)
dolls than really make art dolls. In ethnological
museums you can find some art dolls

Do you think the American dollmaking
is different from the European dollmaking?
And if so, why?
-N. I know only the best dollmaking artists work
and all of them (who I admire) are the NIADA
(National Institute of American Doll Artists)
members. For me art piece has not nationality,
and the best is if the art piece isn’t traditional

What is the situation in Europe from your
experience?
-N. I’m a freelance artist and I don’t belong to any
society or group, so I’m not following situation
enough. My experience is expressed in first answer,
I look for original and new art expression
in dollmaking

Tell me about Croatia and the Croatian
Arts
-N. My country is very small, 4 million inhabitants
only and a lot of talented people for sport,
and art too. Region where I live is Dalmatia, the
town is Split near the sea area and it is 1700
years old. It was built on Diocletian (Roman
Emperor) Palate and it’s today a Zero Monument
of culture under Unesco protection. We
have many artists in my region, a good middle
Art School and Academy too. We have Art
Academies in all big cities

Do you know other Croatian dollmakers?
Tell me in your language - ‘dollmaker’
-N. Only dollmakers (Lutkari) that I know are
employs from puppet theatres. In my country
doesn’t exist doll scene

Tell me about your projects: when you
create...what is your procedure?...
you think...you draw...? and the inspiration?
a book...a discussion..a color...tell me the
way of your creativity
-N. I work everyday and sometime it’s a project
or topic for international doll exhibition or
something that I have to express because idea
was mature enough to be born...anyway I work
everyday, whole day, as possible. I have a
very good condition to work at home. I haven’t
childrens and my partner is also dedicated
to his work. He understand my commitment
and support my need to create. I am inspired
with life and communications with people, from
good movie or book, and also from travelling in
other countries and meeting new people

Do you think there is good business in
Europe on dollmaking?
-N. Some of them are selling very good and
people like to collect sweet realistically made
porcelain dolls

In Italy, the dollmaking is a ‘work for
childrens’...or we have thousands of porcelain
dolls - NOT an expression of ART, like
sculpture...and in Croatia?
-N. We do not have doll scene here at all. No
competitions of any kind. I saw it for the first
time in Germany and start exhibiting there at
Doll Art Exhibitions

In your Country is there any tradition on
dollmaking?
-N. There is a tradition of dollmaking in folklore
costumes - it is something that tourists like to
buy as souvenir

Your customers...are they Internationals?
-N. My customers are from all over the world.
My art is not hard to understand...children
love and understand it as well as adults

Do you know European Dollmakers?
-N. Yes, I met many at exhibitions in Austria and
Germany

You exhibit at Art Galleries?
-N. I have my solo exhibitions in Art Galleries
and museums only

Tell me about exhibitions
-N. For the first time I exhibited dolls at International
Doll Exhibition -1987 Munich, Germany,
Bayerische Kunstgewerbeverein. Almost every
year I am exhibiting at International Art Doll
Exhibition in Neustadt by Coburg, Germany in
Museum of German Toy Industry. Few times at
Austria Zeltweg Castle Farrach at International
Doll Art Exhibition

Who is Nives?
-N. She is somebody who is trying to give some
love and cheer up people with my art because
there is a lot of sadness and problems all
around us and she is someone who is never
satisfied with achieved

The world IS competition. You are a rare
flower! No envy, no groups...interesting...
have you in your mind a preferred artist?
-N. I don’t have a preferred artist. In history of
art, I have so many teachers and artists I admire
and I can learn from. When I saw Van
Gogh in Amsterdam I was overwhelmed with
energy emitted from his art. It was twenty-three
years ago and I still remember that feeling.
Two years ago in Paris, Louvre, I saw original
art by different artists which left footprints in my
soul and I’m grateful to God that I could see it.
Also I can learn and get inspired by beauty of
the flowers or my neighbors lovely dog

Not influenced by Italy? Italy is so near
Croatia. Have you travelled in Italy?
-N. Italy is ‘meravigliosa’...I love Italy, Italian
art and design, music and food. I saw Venezia,
Milano and I spent two months in 1991 in
Trieste doing masks, costumes, stage design
and artistic props for ‘teatro de mati’. I even
learned Italian!

Is it your dream to be a NIADA member?
Would being a NIADA member change your
life?
-N. I’m not dreaming to be member of any society.
As freelance artist I prefer freedom. For
me, art is not a competition and I don’t compare
myself with anybody. Each artist must
have his/her own world

If you are part of clubs, mailings, forums,
associations - you lose freedom?
-N. I simply don’t like to have any labels or
trademark flags to protect me. I simply feel
citizen of the world and in art too, no boundaries
and no rules to follow.
I visited the USA for the first time and it was a
precious experience to promote my book and
to make a workshop. I was to my nephew’s
graduation. He now has a degree of Art from
Charlottesville University of Virginia. I visited
almost all museums in DC Washington - thanks
God! I also saw Baltimore and Alexandria

How important is your computer?
-N. Computer for me is a contact with the world.
I’m not into mailings. I don’t write at forums because
I cannot spend hours trying to explain in
English (which isn’t my language) things which
I can teach in person in one minute. That is
why I wrote a book. Everybody who is really
interested, can learn all my methods of work.
Also, who really wants to learn from me can
come at my home or organize workshops in
his/her country and I shall go there

...why dolls and not pottery or jewels?
-N. My interest is wide. I am making sculptures
and jewelry too, and illustrating books and
making art photography. I prefer papier-mâché
technique because of her endless possibility

What in the future?
-N. In 2008 I plan a solo exhibition and I will
write a new text book together with a professor.
This is a text book on papier mâché for
school and Art Academy. In two months there
is a workshop in England and Israel


I invite your opinions
regarding my interview.
Stefania Morgante

the site of Nives is:
http://www.nivescicinsain.com

Sculpture:what is this?

This is my first time with Premix.

Hannie Harris, President of DABIDA, sent to me 2 packages of Premix, a white, soft air dry clay. Wonderful clay! I have my hands very clean ( I love my hands clean when I'm sculpting and modeling)...(the hands and the face are in prosculpt)...only a problem with the weather...too humid and so the clay is very slow to dry.... but now the question: what is this? only a word....CORK...Sardinia is the Country of Cork....in italian is 'sughero'.

The innatural body is my goal in this sculpture.

The body's shape remember me the wind and the trees..This is and antropomorphic creature, a Tree Goddess.

Crab Fairy

after the Radzat's workshops, new experiments for me: a crab fairy made in Prosculpt, the crab is a gourd.

The fairy's body is painted with iridescent acrilics, decorated with swarovskij and silver decorations.

This is a study on light that touches the bodies.

The light: mother of pearl, crackelé, smooth surfaces, and some little secrets...

Blogs of Note

Stefania Morgante is a student at That Creative Place who lives in Sardinia, Italy. She is an energetic and inspirational participant in Marilyn Radzat's workshops. Her Blog is wonderful, featuring images of ther works in progress and lots of creative inspiration.

It has been amazing to see the progress in Stef's sculpting in such a short time. She was focused on improving her skills and she took giant leaps in her ability over these past several months. She is truly an inspiration!
Lisa Gatz
That Creative Place!

Stefania Morgante will be a Bill Nelson's student!

(Bill Nelson is a sculptor, illustrator and NIADA artist who will be teaching a series of workshops focused on sculpting and creating the character doll. He will also offer illustration workshops. We are priveleged to host this world-class artist at That Creative Place.
His first workshop on sculpting the character head will begin on November 30th.
Go to see: http://www.billnelsonstudios.com/)

Araba Fenice (Phoenix)

Prosculpt, gold metal, Black Swarovkij, watercolors, acrilic paint,mother of pearl ink, gold decorations on the body,

about 14 inches tall

Your Phoenix is looking so beautiful! I'm amazed at the dept of expression that you're getting from your figures now and I adore the bread fairy also. Lisa Gatz

aloha Stef :)
Your Phoenix is sooo beautiful! I love the golds and the textures and the whole feel of the piece. Really beautiful!! Congratulations. :)Marylin Radzat

This is a very interesting piece, lots of textures, finishes and techniques. Very Nice!

absolutely exquisite!!! Stef, this is favorite of yours yet.... lovely classical face and wonderful colors!

she's beautiful!

wow! absolutely ethereal!

'Stef,I left a message on the critique gallery---- she is absolutely wonderful!!! she is my favorite that you have done yet... I love her colors, and especially her face....congratulations, she is really wonderful! Patl Lilich' (new Niada member)

Hi Stef, I just looked at Araba Fenice! She looks great! I love the textures - the skin does look to be burnt and her face shows how she is just going to love living her new body! I think she is terrific!Greta Albright

Phoenix has a beautiful expression! Anna Koetse

2nd Bethlehem CT Library Exhibit

The storybook exhibit was arranged to help increase awareness of the art of dollmaking and also to increase children's interest in reading. Many patrons to the library raved about the exhibit last year saying it was one of the best in library history.

The exhibit was set up during the Bethlehem Christmas Town Festival last
year. This year, the display cases are reserved for that weekend along
with the month of December and the weekend prior to Thanksgiving (by
request of the library.) The Town Festival (being held on Dec. 7 & 8)
draws in hundreds of people over the
1 1/2 day event. Bethlehem is also famous for thousands of visitors
coming to the post office during the holiday season to have their
holiday cards stamped with the Bethlehem post mark. With the amount of
travelers coming through the center of Bethlehem, this is the best time
of year to set up the storybook exhibit.

Greta Albright

Hi Stef!

Thank you! Pinocchio will be wonderful! The book will also be great, especially in the language of his origin. :)Thanks again! Greta

Bread Fairy at CreativFestival in Toronto!

This is my Bread Fairy, She'll be at CreativFestival ->


'Cited as "one of the best" in the 2003 issue of Vogue Patterns, the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival was established in 1988.

Today, the fall festival, the world's largest public event of its kind, covers 200,000 square feet of exhibit space (twice that of 2001) and the spring show has grown larger than pre 2002 fall events. Here you can learn how to put your own one-of-a-kind stamp on everything from clothes and curtains to greeting cards and accessories. From embellishing off-the-rack-items to constructing custom clothing and jewellery, the Festival is known all over the world as the premier consumer show for creative individuals who craft-it or create-it themselves.
Whatever the art from or medium, you can see, touch, feel and buy the latest fibre, paper, textile, craft, decorating and other creative arts related supplies, equipment and services in an interactive retail marketplace and educational forum...'( from http://www.torontoplus.ca/home/creativfestival/1056173)



the Creativfestival and CDAA (with my Bread Fairy) at:

Metro Toronto Convention Centre on October 26, 27 and 28.
your Challenge Dolls,
your Round Robin Dolls and
your Original Dolls for display!

She is absolutely beautiful and very original. She will get the place of honour in the middle of the table on a riser with her name and your name on a card at her feet.
Thank you for going to all the trouble in sending her to me
PS: Your doll deserves the best place!! Kathy White

Where:
Metro Toronto Convention Centre 255 Front Street West Toronto, ON M5V 2W6
When:
Oct 26, 2007, Fri 10:00 am-8:00 pmOct 27, 2007, Sat 10:00 am-6:00 pmOct 28, 2007, Sun 10:00 am-5:00 pm

Wild Art Dolls will have two new owners and moderators!

Wild Art Dolls will have two new owners and moderators.

One is Stefania Morgante, usually called "Stef" here at Wild Art
Dolls. She lives in Italy and she's been a member of this group
since 2004. You may know her lovely dolls from her website http://www.gufobardo.com/ .
I also interviewed her in 2005, and you can read about her dollmaking
at http://www.wildartdolls.com/doll-artists/stefania-interview.htm.

The other new owner and moderator is Jody (also called JoTee) from New Mexico. You may have seen some of her dolls at her blog, http://beads4jody.blogspot.com/
I'm honored that these two very talented and enthusiastic women have volunteered to take the helm at Wild Art Dolls!
Thank you to every member of Wild Art Dolls. I've had a great time as
the list owner, and this has always been the easiest group to moderate.

I hope that you'll be just as supportive of Stef and Jody in their new
roles at this group.
Cheerfully,
Aisling D'Art



Click to join wildartdolls

Porcupine Elf

This is a little Porcupine...He is sleeping in his cave...Prosculpt, little mother of pearls, metal and little white beads. He is on a silver natural leaf.
The body is painted with acrilics and gold paint. This is a little 'lucky charm'!
About 2.4 inches

sculpture in Prosculpt and paper rice

'nothing is as it seems'. This sculpture is all in Prosculpt, with porcelain leaves (white/green and white/blue). The body is cover with paper rice and handpainted with acrilics. Why 'nothing is as it seems'? because the body is crossed by channels of energy that we cannot see, but they are, and these channels are our artistic vibration, our energy into the Art and the life

visual appeal in Arts, crafts, collection:What do you think?

Leslie is a verbal person and She says ‘my humor is most often verbal’. She is fascinated by light (windows, water, mirrors, reflections…) and She often buy beads for that quality. She cannot work with fabrics.
Dianne loves seeing, touch, taste, scent and hearing, She says ‘I love things shiny, and I also like the texture look, again not having to feel it but to see the differences…’
Anna:’ I collect things because of how they look and/or feel. First something has to be visually appealing to me. Perhaps the color, the shape, or even possibly the memory that it evokes. How do I "feel" when I look at it? Happy, sad, reflective, uneasy, etc. Does it make me smile or chuckle? Does it conjur up images of Fall, colored leaves, crisp air and woodburning stoves? Does something about it remind me of my mom, my childhood or an event with one of my children or grandchildren.’
But Anna says…’ My kids like to remind me that when they were little I would take
them into a store or a craft sale, and then say "Look with your eyes...NOT with your hands!" and then proceed to pick up and touch just about everything.'
And you?

Which of the five senses is important in your collection?

Aisling d'Art tells me some months ago...'Oh, it's easily the visual appeal. I think that's true for most collectors: We like to have that visual reminder of what makes us happy, and the visual confirmation that we have a good collection.
There's a sense of accomplishment there'.

Andrea Scholes 'speaking for myself, I have to really like it to collect it. I don't just collect beads for the sake of collecting beads - I have to really like something about the beads to buy them for my "collection" - it could be the color, the shape, the texture...threads - for me its the colors and textures...the same with lace - it has to be very textural for me to really want it... '

and you? write me!

( to the right->)Peperoncina
Summer is close! And Peperoncina prepares her spicy and red wreaths to hang on her door as good luck sign. She has long red hair, peppers are red, ladybugs are red too in her hair and also the flowers on her shoes: as the warming sun and her heart ready to love you. Cloth doll, about 65 cm tall, with bells, wooden buttons and decorations among her red mohair hair. Voile ribbons at her arms, metal butterflies on her head and a dry peppers wreath in her hands. Her features are hand-embroidered.

a new column on the CDAA Newsletter!

I will have a new column, the name will be 'the Art of dollmaking from Europe'. The first interview will be on a croatian artist, Nives Cicin-Sain http://www.nivescicinsain.com/

ART-CAREERS

two years ago Aisling interviewed me on my Art ( you can see the article on the page http://www.wildartdolls.com/doll-artists/stefania-interview.htm) and now She writes this interesting article about the energy and the Key of success in Art Shows:
some phrases...
'People buy your art, not just because it's "pretty" or "interesting," but because of the energy that's in it. As an artist, you need to convey that energy personally, as well. That's what confirms the importance of owning your art and having it in their home or workplace.
Put great, attractive energy into your art, and into how you present yourself.
The quality of your energy--and how accessible it is to others--is key.'...

( ...you can read the article here:
http://www.arts-careers.com/shows/havefunatartshows.htm)

Shoes Challenge

Barbara has a beautiful challenge, international challenge! so, 'Just take a shoe and get started!' She says.http://www.joggles.com/shoe-challenge.htm
Partecipate, se sarete scelti, la vostra scarpa sarà pubblicata!

CDAA Mentoring Program

Il Canadian Doll Artist Association di cui sono membro da diversi anni, nella rielezione del nuovo comitato direttivo, mi ha scelta come Mentoring Coordinator.

Il mio lavoro consisterà nel coordinare le richieste delle dollmakers verso le artiste che insegnano tecniche di decorazione, plastica, cucito, ricamo e così via.

Le richieste e le risposte più interessanti le invierò alla Newsletter del gruppo, una vera e propria rivista cartacea dal consistente volume di pagine.
Il gruppo inoltre mi chiede di scrivere articoli su cosa accade in Europa e in Italia tra le dollmakers, perciò non esitate a contattarmi per qualsiasi notizia interessante, mostre, concorsi, idee...potreste essere incluse nella rivista (il CDAA è un'associazione internazionale con membri in tutto il modo).
Mentoring Program : Stefania Morgante
customerservice@gufobardo.com

Buongiorno Stefania,
Come sta ? Io sono la Presidente della CDAA mi chiamo Kinga e voglio dire che siamo molto contente de ti avere come la " Mentorship " persona. Mi scusi perche ho dimenticato molto di mio Italiano ma spero che mi conprende. Tu Inglese e molto bene.
Alora benveuta e ciao per ora.
Con gioia de ti avere con noi.
Kinga Buday
CDAA President 2007 2008


Thank you Stefania!
Take care,
Peggy Wilson
Vice President CDAA 2007 2008

Mentoring Coordinator Stefania Morgante (customerservice@gufobardo.com) is waiting for experienced doll artists to sign up to mentor CDAA members and members who require help to sign up to be matched with an experienced member.