Although painting is my first love,assemblage and art dolls have become an essential spiritual practice.
I love the process of sculpting with polymer clay and working with textiles, yarn, fibers and beading creating a context where magic begins.
I've been inspired by many cultures where dolls were made symbolic of the sacred...full of meaning and creativity...here there is an element of reverence and solitude that guides me gently into that type of art. It is a form of meditation...a beautiful Spirit dance.
There is something mystical and healing about making art dolls from found items or whatever is available me. The seeds of creativity were planted in me long ago in Mexico...when my adorable Nana Maria (who did not believe in buying toys) took a branch from a weeping willow and bundle it up with an old rag making a face with small stiches and handed me a new doll.
I forgot all about that until I had my younger son...I was going insane because the begining of menopause arrived at the same time as I started to nurse him. My creativity was "drying out" with every hot flash...and I could not find time or space to paint, everything in my world had collapsed and I felt lost. Interesting how this "being on fire like feeling" opened my eyes to a new art form...like rites of passage into my new passion, making Spirit Dolls and altered/assemblage art.
A friend sugested I started playing with polymer clay making small figurines just because it is so much fun! ...then someone said, my little figurines looked like those goddesses of antiquity! huh?
OHH yeah...I did not have a concept about Goddess Culture, or the sacredness of womanhood in those days, I guess "She" had to come and give me a hard time, with her breath of fire... so I could awaken to my own power and also developed great admiration for those women artists like Judy Chicago who honor each other and womanhood with Spirit filled art...the rest is "Herstory".
I have been making dolls with a passion ever since, and believe Spirit dolls are healing tools, sacred to me and helpful to others, I have been blessed.
*With special thanks to Cynjon for providing me with the materials for all these art dolls. It was a true challenge my friend, thanks for inspiring me and for your creative spirit.
2 comments:
I like your art pieces.
Some of them are a little spooky! But I see the therapeutic value of the spirit dolls...they have a primitive, spiritual quality to them. Great photos.
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