Art Doll Friends, MF TOY SHOW, and more!

Squirrel Doll by Carisa Swenson, MF Toy Show 2010

Alright, now that Halloween is out of the way, I can update you on some of the more recent things going on over here, and it’s been quite a ride!

First, this past Saturday, I had the chance to join up with a BUNCH of dollmakers! It was a doll artist extavaganza, I tell you! The MF Galleries was holding it’s annual toy show, one I’m told has been going on for 8 years (how come I didn’t know about this? Oh yeah, THESE dolls were a bit twisted, while mine are…well, more cute and fluffy!).

As proof, the show hosted some of the more daring artists I know! Sheri DeBow and Jacqui Gallant are fellow Art Dolls Only members, while Carisa Swenson is a fellow New Yorker and online friend. I also met Jenny Alcantara, of SanFrancisco and Christine Benjamin of San Jose, CA.

AND IF THAT WEREN’T ENOUGH…I would be traveling with friends, and respected art dolls artists, to the show. DanI Nelson is the powerhouse behind Spookytime Jingles, and Marie Patterson is a STJ member and ADO member to boot…and sweet friends of mine. I also met Tracy Nuskey-Dodson, a wonderful collage artist and painter. All three of us would be taking a subway over into Brooklyn, where the MF Gallery was located.

Now, since I was the “local” and the designated tour guide, I printed out the directions, which was simple enough. And indeed, while we were on the train, we got there in good time. But once we got off, the directions were muddled, at best, and we soon found ourselves wandering in a big circle.

Not all of this was bad, as we soon found ourselves on a rather enchanted block, where Christmas lights were already up on the streets (click to enlarge pics):


And Christmas music was being pumped out by some unseen speaker, filling the streets with wonderful old-time Christmas tunes (I have to admit, I might have swayed a bit to the music, out in public).

Of course, being the fun and crazy doll people that we were, we had to stop so DanI could change her shoes into fancier heels. For the show. Out on the street:


I tell you she’s a wild woman!

Anyhow, it eventually became apparent that we would need a cab, and after hailing one, we eventually found ourselves waaaaaay out “in the boonies” where the gallery was located. While it was a rather unfortunate location, the gallery itself was lovely!

AND…we FINALLY met our art doll friends IN PERSON! It was a whole PASSEL of doll artists in one room!

Here they all are!

from Left to Right:

Carisa Swenson of Goblin Fruit Studio
Sheri Debow
Tracey Nuskey-Dodson
Marie Patterson of Marie Patterson Studio
Jacqui Gallant of Odd Dollz
Dani Nelson of Ambitions Design/Spooky Time Jingles
Jenny Bird Alcantara of Jennybird Art

And here’s another picture:

LEFT TO RIGHT:

Christine Benjamin of CBIllustration, Carisa Swenson, Tracey Nuskey-Dodson, Marie Patterson, Jacqui Gallant.

NOTICE the wild-haired girl who snuck in, at the far right!

Here is Sheri, standing next to some of her amazing dolls….



Here is Carisa, next to her wickedly good rabbits….



Here is one of Jacqui’s twistedly cute dolls:


There were plenty of other artists, too. I love these evil sock monkeys!



Alas, I was so busy talking shop with all of my art friends, that I didn’t really get a chance to photograph as much of the amazing art as I’d have liked. But it was quite an amazing night! I loved meeting everyone.

NOW--other news!

Some time ago, I participated in my friend Nicole Johnson’s Mealy Monster Land monster giveaway (by the way, Nicole is the head of our Art Dolls Only group!)…..and I was lucky in that I WON one of her amazing monsters! I love her dolls!

So yesterday, I hopped on over to the post office and got THIS LITTLE GUY:

He appears to be a Christmas MealyMonster. He has a doll in one...umm..tentacle, a bear in the other, and a candy cane in a third, behind his back!

I don't know how Nicole does it...these details, like the button eyes, are very SMALL. The claywork is fantastic!

Isn’t he a gem! I love him in all his grumpy-evil-cuteness!

THANK YOU NICOLE!!!!!

FINALLY-- art!

I know I had mentioned in my previous post that I would have art for you by now. In fact, I seem to do this often and am observing my life makes it VERY difficult for me to do art. Take one girl who works 12 and 13 hours for 5 days, and who is VERY slow at painting, and you have a recipe for disaster. Or, at least, a lot of unfinished art lying around, to the point I almost want to call my art “The Unfinished Art Brigade.”

Anyhow, this weekend will be a small reprieve in the art making so I’ll be putting the art up as I get it together, starting Friday and going through to Monday (or later!), so please bear with me because there are ornaments, dolls and possibly pin-cushions for Halloween and Christmas involved!

And, this also brings up yet another subject--there are a few life-altering decisions sitting before me, so I’ll keep posted about all of the exciting and insane developments as the happen!

Until then.....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!