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As you may know, I've been using a nickname Moth Doll for certain purposes and on various occasions. The reason for this was to give my dolls some sort of a distinguishing "brand" name. It seems to have worked and I've come to think of the main line of my work as Moth Dolls, or Moths for short, as I affectionately call them sometimes. The logo I came up with for them (a hybrid of a doll and a moth) is an attempt at creating an easily recognisable visual representation, a sign that will be associated with my dolls.

Moths have captivated and fascinated us since the beginning of time. I have a very particular relationship with them. Moths are beautiful, inspiring and can be a little eerie, as their night-time activity makes them somewhat mysterious. I wanted my dolls to reflect those qualities. Romantic, ethereal, delicate, but earthy, with darker undertones - there is something nostalgic or even melancholic about them, at least to me. Even the fragmented nature of a jointed doll is reminiscent of an insect body's segments. Most importantly, the symbolism of a moth, undergoing metamorphosis in their life cycle, fits the nature of my dolls perfectly. Not only does it reflect the complex multi-stage process in which they are made, but it also shows my intention of creating something capable of transformation. I want to create dolls that are unique, with a sense of individuality, even if I'm using a finite number of moulds. I think the possible variations are endless. As well as that, the same doll presented in different ways can acquire new characteristics - so much depends on the light, the pose, the surrounding environment and, crucially, the perceptions of a viewer.

With all of this in mind, I proclaim the Moth Doll line officially introduced. I will continue building and expanding it in the future. Even if I take the occasional side path of art/doll making, I consider Moths to be my main focus and body of work now. I have great plans for these girls (and eventually maybe even boys, too!) and I'm really looking forward to their evolution.

Here’s a little update or those of you who may be wondering what’s happening in my studio right now. The pictures are from yesterday’s casting session and today’s morning.

I have hours of wet soft fired greenware cleaning ahead of me and not particularly looking forward to it. Still, I don’t mind it so much as I’ve gotten my system nicely organised at this point, keeping loads of towels handy and changing them often as they soak up the water I splash around. I haven’t done any porcelain cleaning in some time, so hopefully it won’t be that bad ;)

I also have the kiln on, soft firing previously cast and dried pieces. One of the shelves is full of heads! Some of them are new faces I’m planning to reveal soon. Pictures will apear here, as always :)

I had a long break. It took me a while to return to my normal rhytm after the winter holidays. After I did, though, there was no stopping me ;)

This little doll just had to happen. I never worked with such inspired intensity before. I felt the urgency and energy with which Ivy insisted on her existence. She wanted to become real, like she had a mind of her own. From just a doodle on a page of my sketchbook, through a page of blue print, hours of sculpting, refining, corrections and eventually casting from previously prepared moulds, here she is. For now, only as a prototype cast in flumo, an air drying material I have nothing but praise for. Try it, especially if you don't have a kiln but want the experience of working with porcelain. Much more forgiving if not as durable, makes a perfect practicing slip and works equally well as a professional medium.

Of course, creating Ivy doesn't mean I won't be working on my other dolls any more. Far from it, I have lots of ideas in that field, too - some projects are currently in progress. Ivy provided a nice break, though. Her aesthetics are so different, it was nice to explore a different avenue of my own creativity. I wanted to try something slightly more stylised and in a smaller scale (she's 1/6, like many modern fashion dolls), which means a more pocket friendly size.

I also feel that working on the same moulds all the time makes it less spontaneous and a little monotonous. I don't want to close myself in one kind of a doll, but rather develop my style to allow occasional trips into new dolly realms. Especially now, at the start of my dollmaking adventure, I want to explore many options and see where my work will take me.

I am really curious to see what reactions Ivy will get. Please feel free to add a comment :)

I can't believe it's the end of December again, already... It's been such a short year! It seems like it only just started a couple of months ago, and here I am, looking at a Christmas tree in my living room. As always, it is a fairly eclectic one, with a mixture of glass, plastic, wooden, fabric, paper, handmade and other decorations. This all-inclusive, "democratic" tree is a tradition in our family. I enjoy its overall feel of homeliness that comes from it. Some of the toys that adorn it have been kept for years. I have some favourites and many remind me of various things from the past...

2011 has been a little unusual and in many ways quite wonderful, if at times a touch frustrating. I bought a kiln shortly after moving into a new house. I set up a studio and started making dolls. I finally succeeded in something I've been trying my hand at for a while now. For the first time ever, I managed to create unique articulated figures to my satisfaction, having overcome some technical difficulties and my own shortcomings. I have to say, I am proud of what I've achieved so far, but far from getting too comfortable or complacent. My dolls will continue to evolve. I have so many ideas, there are just too many things I'd like to try. Something tells me 2012 will be a great year for adventures in dolly-land :)

I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe, magical Christmas/holiday season, regardless of what you believe or don't believe in. Enjoy the rest of the year. I will be back again in January!

Over the last while, I have been working on something I’d like to keep a secret for now. Let me just say, it had me completely preoccupied. I could not put it down until I was able to finish the last stages of work possible to accomplish at the moment. Now, I have to take a break from it and let it breathe. I will continue that particular project and reveal it when it’s ready. I am really excited about it!

Aside from that, I have been experimenting with various little bits and pieces. Amongst them are the tiny white bowls you can see in the pictures. I made them with porcelain re-claimed from casting, which always produces some leftovers.

Recycled slip can be added to fresh porcelain, but I decided to use some of it in a different way. I removed excess water from the clay after soaking dry crumbs in it. I added a small amount of paper fibre pulp to the porcelain and dried it off on a plaster batt until it was ready for kneading. In other words, I used the pieces of porcelain cut off from doll parts and discarded during casting to create paper porcelain. It’s not a very good sculpting/modelling material as it lacks plasticity and dries quickly. However, the addition of paper meant I could use it for pinching and made a series of little bowls. They vary in size from about 1 to 4 inches across (2.5 – 10 cm) and can be stacked together. So far, they’ve been very popular with my friends and family as they can be used for food, display, tea-lights etc. And, of course, as doll props! I had fun making them, too. Their simplicity offered a nice break from the very complex and demanding doll-making techniques. I might make some more and consider selling them. But now it’s time to get back to my usual routine :)

It was a little brighter and sunnier over the last couple of days and I managed to take a whole load of pictures of Quince. She is an excellent model, as you can see.

Her gallery can be found here: http://www.niceartthings.com/drupal/index.php?q=gallery&g2_itemId=1677

This is Quince, I just completed assembling her this morning. She is a new face mould test piece and the first dark skin-tone doll I’ve ever made. I wanted to include various ethnicities in my line of dolls. Each has unique characteristics and every single one is worthy of admiration. Quince has lots of personality and attitude! I will post more about her another time. Today the light’s too poor to take good quality pictures (oh those awful, miserable, rainy November days!). Quince really deserves great images to show off her beauty. So for now, I will just post those quick snapshots.
Enjoy :)

This is the doll I completed most recently. She is a double jointed girl with standard features and a pale complexion. Her face is made using the Melissa mould, my second ever and favourite one to date. I created this doll entirely by hand through all the stages of the process, including self-made eyes and a Tibetan mohair wig with a magnet to keep it in place (the other magnet is placed inside the doll’s head). As with other dolls I’ve made, she is fine porcelain painted with permanent, fired on bisque colours, strung with stainless steel spring system and lined with leather in the joint sockets. She poses and photographs gracefully. She is about 45cm tall. I did not give her a name other than the mould one for a reason: this Melissa was created for sale. The future owner can decide on her new identity. She is available for immediate purchase at the price of 1150€. Shipment with a very secure service is included in the price. She will come in a beautiful box. A little bonus is included as a surprise.

Please contact me if you’re interested: kamila@niceartthings.com

As I mentioned before, Celeste is the first doll featuring a new chest size. Below are some comparison pictures of the two chest sizes, small and very small. I was trying to pose Celeste and Angel together to show the differences between them, but it was easier just to use the parts. I had fun taking pictures anyway.

Celeste and Angel also have different feet, flat and raised respectively. The difference is quite subtle but Angel’s feet are slightly arched so she can look more natural wearing high heel shoes.

Celeste also features the new head cap, which is smaller and more discreet. You can’t really see it from the front at all even without the wig. Speaking of which, I changed it and like it a whole lot better now.

I also realised I never made a comparison between body types (single and double jointed). Here's one for reference:

I enjoy making additional features. Some of the ones I’ve been developing are rather unusual...
It will all be revealed in time. I hope it will be a nice surprise :)

Celeste is unlike any other girl. She has a very strong vibe about her, might be tough to figure out. Looks somewhat sad and strangely determined.

I never liked dolls with a smile on their faces very much. Sure, they can be sweet and cheerful; sometimes they brighten your day. But in the long run, I found them a little suspicious. Nobody’s smiling all the time, it’s not natural. I created Celeste with her expression to be quite a versatile mold. She can be sad, dreamy, gloomy... She certainly isn’t looking particularly happy. She is the fist one of the new faces I will be revealing as I complete each of them.

This particular Celeste has a new slim chest. (More on this subject another time.) She was also given a haircut with a fringe, my first attempt at it. Not really hugely successful, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right?