The Quiet Company of Stone

 A book about Lulu the Beryl.

https://gemini.google.com/share/bab6ac675edf

Barnaby's Sunshine Crayon

 A new storybook featuring Lorina the Beryl.

https://gemini.google.com/share/4ab378ccff2c

Henry and the Pumpkin

 

Happy Halloween 2025!

The Cat Butts Song! 😺 Parody of Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum

Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro

Coming to theaters and IMAX on October 17, 2025 and Netflix in November.

Izzy

 

Photograph by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos;

if you do, please keep his name with them.

Izzy was painted by TheFontBandit.

BJD Faceup - FHSH Doll TIAN2023 faceup by R.Dean

Watch a doll being painted here; click the link on the video.

Tara

 

Photograph by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Tara's paint is by BeachGirlNikita.

Whiter Shade of Pale

 

You Can Buy Richard's Book Here

 This is the link to buy the book of photographs of my dolls taken by Richard Gardner:

https://www.blurb.com/b/12505666-les-poupees-doll-culture

Richard is not making any money off the book.  The book is priced at Blurb's cost to produce it. It is not a big book; it is 7x7 inches.  It is softcover, 44 pages. If you click on the image at Blurb, you can see a short preview.

About Richard Gardner:

Richard Gardner’s roots are grounded in beauty.

Major influences include the celebrated fashion photographer Sarah Moon in addition to Surrealist artist Man Ray.

For decades as a hairdresser, make-up artist, and photographer he has documented the perceived reality of beauty within the current zeitgeist.

His photography has shown in galleries nationally and internationally.

A self-taught photographer, Gardner has taken courses at both the International

Center of Photography and Center of Photography at Woodstock.

His hand-colored images have been a part of the course curriculum at ICP.

In addition to his fine artwork, Gardner had accepted professional commissions from the beauty industry. Clients had included Revlon and L’Oreal.

The Seamstress Rabbits

 I decided the dolls needed clothes and I was too lazy to make them.

https://g.co/gemini/share/b00a6a6bf46b

The Curious Rabbits and the Cathedral Dolls

 The story of the rabbits continues here:

https://g.co/gemini/share/9beb43473993

The Mystery of the Meadow-Munch Cake

 The rabbits needed a party.  So, I gave them one:

https://g.co/gemini/share/9d7362a21a2b

The Moonpetal's Song

 The story of The Cathedral Rabbits continues here:

https://g.co/gemini/share/2d6b538f47eb

The Cathedral Rabbits

 Read my storybook here:

https://g.co/gemini/share/12a228654230

Soom the Gem 2025

Blue Lucy

 

Photograph by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Lucy

 

Photographs by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Andromeda

 

Photographh by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Paint by Luckyl.

Asian Ball Jointed Dolls

Starfleet X-Bomber

Molding and Casting a Doll Head

 These photos will give you an idea of what the process is to make a doll head.  Dolls are sculpted, then silicone molds are made, then resin is poured, then the resin is cured in pressure pots, then the resin parts are cleaned up.  The dolls are then strung.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/30966630@N04/albums/72157607837715795/with/2921271029

Human Doll Cloning

Click here: An old article that is still fabulous. Minimees taken to the next level.

Staind - Zoe Jane

Antoinette

A first look at Antoinette.

Paint by Angelesk.

When I was looking for JoAnne's doll, Antoinette was offered to me.

I snapped her up.

She is on the old Soom body which I love.

I have marvelous scary red eyeballs for her and mahogany colored hair from Germany.

And she will have Sphaler horns; which are golden.

 

Sweet Witch

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You are welcome to share Richard's photographs.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Paint by Angelesk.

Ode to Diana

 

Anna's "Red Shoe Picture" is on the wall by Diana's chair.

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Caspian

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

Please keep his name with them if you do.

Angelesk painted Caspian.

Bliss

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Bliss was painted by Soom.

Soom created Beryl based on Devin Aoki .

Anna

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

They are Real!

 

Amyy

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Migma

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Migma was painted by Fishcake.

Doll Culture Photography Exhibition

 

The opening is Saturday, June 7th, 2025.

I hope to see you there!

Winter

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Morga

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

Please keep his name with them if you do.

Lulu

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Artistic Statement

 (In other words, bullshit.)

An Artistic Statement: The Doll as Simulacrum and Storyteller

The doll, in its myriad forms, transcends mere plaything to become a potent vessel of cultural narrative, a simulacrum of the human condition, and a canvas for societal projections. It is within the liminal space between object and being that the doll exerts its artistic power, mirroring back to us our own desires, fears, and constructions of identity.

Through the meticulous crafting of its form, the doll embodies an idealized or distorted version of ourselves. 

Furthermore, doll culture, as a collective phenomenon, acts as a powerful lens through which we can cross the boundaries of country, age, gender, and race. 

The form of the doll can be manipulated to convey a wide range of feelings, from joy and innocence to sorrow and fear.  When I build a doll, I seek to pluck your heartstrings.  It is alright to love them; it is what they were built for.

Edgar

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photographs.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Weeener

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photographs.

If you do, please keep his namewith them.

Lucy Alice

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's pictures.

Please keep his name with them.

Lucy Alice was painted by Angelesk.

Divine

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photographs.

Please keep his name with them.

Agatha

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photographs.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Petra

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

Petra was painted by Fishcake. 

Quinn

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them.

For Richard

 Once Upon a Time, high on a steep hill, in a forgotten Queendom that was neither here nor there, lived a diminutive Queen. To keep her people in line, she bade them to have tea parties and to frolic in the rose garden. She encouraged them to scrounge and search in the high attics for their clothes. The fact that her people wore lace and rags bothered her not one bit.

When the Queen was not looking, they took their raggedy clothes off.  And frolic they did.  Oh, my god, was the King appalled when he saw these pictures.

Peyton and Pan

 Beauty and the Beast. What we have been waiting for. Romance incarnate.  And if I make the King go to one more showing of "Beauty and the Beast" he is going to kill me.

Photo by Richard Gardner.

If you share this photo, please keep Richard's name with it.

Pan

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photos.

If you do, please keep his name with them. 

Peyton

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You may share Richard's photographs.

Please keep his name with them.

Russian Popovy

 

Photo by Richard Gardner.

You are welcome to share Richard's photos.

Please keep his name with them.

This is Peewit.

The poor thing has no shoes; I was never able to find anything that would fit her ballerina feet.

Cooki

 

Photos by Richard Gardner.

You are welcome to share Richard's photos.

Please keep his name with them.

Zillah

 When Queen Lachlana gave him the proverbial boot, Zillah came here to live here in beautiful Fairyland.  Like my dog, he is one of the original cream white so coveted, so beloved, Heliots.  He now resides with Queen Angelesk who was too young to order a Heliot when they first came out in 2008.

A cream white Heliot was amongst her greatest wishes. I decided it should be granted. No one should live without an original craam white Heliot.

 Zillah's hair was pink and now it is blue.  His paint is by Lachlana and has been lovingly enhanced by Angelesk.  Zillah now has giant Benmore hooves; you can beat off fractious burglers with Benmore hooves. 

Zillah is naked. So, if anyone has clothes they would like to donate to the cause, feel free.  I was thinking about making him a jacket, but I have not gotten around to it yet. I still have the Goblin King's jacket to make. (How good it is to do nothing and to rest afterwards!)

 It is really good to see Zillah out and about and happy!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/153058790@N05/54374395285/

Yetta

 

A recent photo by Richard Gardner.  Please keep Richard's name with this photo if you choose to share it.

MissAlly would be so proud.

Chloe

 

This photo of Chloe is by Richard Gardner.

You are welcome to share Richard's photos, but please keep his name with them.

Richard's photos are available for purchase.

Not for the faint of heart or Little Kids' Eyeballs

 

This photo of Anavel is by Richard Gardner.

Richard's photos are used professionally in gallery work.

You are welcome to share them, but please keep his name with them.

Richad does sell prints should you want Anavel in your bedroom.