Where Do My Dolls Come From?

I just finished three new dolls and added them to my shop.  As I am photographing them, I realize I have developed crazy stories in my head for each one while I was making them. Believe it or not, this is a new revelation for me. Being crazy is not.

The process of creating dolls is still fairly new to me in my life of crafting. I use to only craft or paint when I would get inspired to make something I saw I liked but couldn't afford or thought I can do that, why pay for it? I think I have made maybe two dolls my entire life.

Who Doo dolls came about when I wanted to create items to sell with my husband, Dave Cook, at his conventions and festivals.  He is a pretty well-known artist in Atlanta for his tongue-in-cheek horror art, roller girl poster art and zombie portraits. You can see his cool stuff at his I Draw Monsters website. 

I first did some research on voodoo dolls, which totally freaked me out!  I'm not crazy superstitious or anything, but thinking others might use my dolls for ill will or good for that matter I didn't like.  I knew I wanted to make dolls  out of old items of my grandmothers, my childhood, personal old clothing and jewelry, antique finds and thrift store items. So who knew what all that may bring with the world of voodoo.  Playing with words to not be voodoo but still a little creepy, Who Doo was born. As I create a doll I ask it, who doo you want to be? Call me crazy, but it slowly emerges to me with a complete personality! (I know, I just creeped out on voodoo makers and hear I'm telling you my dolls have complete personalities. I told you I was a little crazy!)

I usually start with a pile of items I like. Such as this vintage "hair wrap" which I bought at an antique shop. It is still in the box intact.  I hold on to things until I work out the idea in my head. Then I take it out and look at for a couple of days. A mummy wrapped with his ribcage (maybe a sliced seashell) exposed...

Or I also like the idea of someone, like Betty Page, becoming a doll so I gather items I think may go: pleather pants, netting, lace, chains, a pin I was making...

I've been thinking of old hippies that have passed on as inspiration and came up with this pile of goodies. Don't know if it will all gel in my mind into a doll but it's a beginning.

So the dolls slowly arrive out of my imagination, usually a little demented, crazy or strange. I have done the "mainstream" art all my life, but the "dark side" of creativeness is pretty dang fun!