Monday, 11 July 2011

Artistic Doll Swap #1

A while back now I posted about a Facebook Artistic Doll Swap that I was in. Altogether there were around 70 plus members. We are almost ready for the second doll swap with close to 100 members.

My original idea was to be a flat paper doll, however it kind of evolved into something entirely different. Its torso and thighs are made from dowel sticks covered with thin corrugated cardboard. His arms and legs are chipboard, cut in strips to male a circular shape and also covered with the cardboard. Face, hands, feet, birds, and mouse were hand crafted from sculpy (no molds used).

I call him Manu Katiaki, which means bird guardian in Maori. He protects all the small creatures of the forest (mainly birds). If I ever develop a range of these characters they will be called the Kitara which is Celtic for Forest.

One thing I learnt from making this is to appreciate the next making skills of birds. I have opposable thumbs and it took me forver to weave something that resembled a nest.

Manu Katiaki is now living it up in Oregan with his new owner, who absolutely adores him.


Creation of the Kitara:
Once upon an

ancient night

The moon was out

and shining bright...


A forest stood

beneath its beam

Its trees stood tall

with leaves of green


Beneath the

canopy so dark

A magical creature

created a spark


You would have seen

a tiny glow

And onto a sapling

it did blow


It bounced around

like a pale ball

Waking new life,

with its call.


The saplings took on

A shape all their own

And on wooded feet

they started to roam.


Thus was the birth

of the spirit trees

Who wander and

protect all living things.


They can only be seen

If you believe

For then they will shine out

From beneath the leaves.
On the right side of my blog you will see a pink button for the Artistic Doll Swap Blog. It will soon show all the dolls from the swap.

1 comment:

Natalie Wolfe said...

I totally adore this doll - she is amazing!