The Witch of Positano

A friend of mine said, "Look up Vali Myers." I said, "Who? Or is it a what?" She laughed and said, "An Australian who." I said, "Well, who is it?" She said, "Just do it." I thought, "Nike." But, I did it.

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Those who know me would know instantly why someone would introduce me to the however regretfully late Vali Myers; they wouldn't even have to hear about the hill and the goats.

Visit http://nicholasbuildingarts.googlepages.com/nicholasbuildingartsvalimyers for an introduction to Vali and continue on to http://www.valimyers.com/ where the art is available for purchase.

The Tuxedo

The tuxedo has arrived! Charcoal grey silk trimmed with black silk; luscious.

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Of course we're talking here about Orchid's wedding in 2010 and the tuxedo for the big day is hardly big and certainly not people sized. A.D. and I have been searching diligently for probably a year in order to find one of the right quality in the right size. Finally, we found one. People say, "Where did you get it?"

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I tell them the truth: Arkansas.

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This black and white ink is another illustration by the 'gone but not forgotten' Harry Clarke. It might have been one of the renderings which we used to create Alabaster.

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Just imagine: the tuxedo fits Alabaster perfectly....

Ideas

One of the most commonly asked questions regarding my work is, "Where do you get your ideas?"
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The last person who asked me that happily answered it for me herself. She quickly said, "Oh, I know! Fairy tales! You get your ideas from fairy tales. Your work looks exactly like the fairy tales. Only it's the old tales, the very old tales. Your work looks exactly like those illustrations. Do you know the ones I mean?"
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If pressed to describe my work or attempt at all to categorize it, I usually tell people that it is "dark Victorian fairytale". The illustration to the here is by the fairytale master Harry Clarke. Like Aubrey Beardsley, Harry Clarke's work was delightfully dark and deliciously frightening.

Oslo Style

People always ask, "What do you guys talk about?" Sometimes, I wonder, "Which guys? Us guys in the neighborhood? (Because we did have that conversation this weekend. It was all about how the north shore of the island is completely and entirely different from the south shore. The end result was I told the person that one speaks to north shore residents about horses.) Or us guys as artists?"
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This time, I'll share an ongoing exchange with A.D. . We very often speak of and share ideas on 'cool clothes' and locales which are 'other than here'. Many times we speak of Russia. Sometimes we speak of China. A great many times we talk about Japan. This time it's Oslo.
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The following is a site which we enjoy immensely. It allows us to visit 'elsewhere' and to discuss 'ideas' to our hearts content. We also love to play the artists' game of "likeit likeit hateit likeit likeit hateit", comparing notes and refining our tastes as we go.
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We love when the game ends with, "Yes! That's it! Let's do it !!"
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This is a fashion photography site; real people, real city. When you have real time, take a trip to Oslo. Visit: http://oslostil.diggetydamn.com/
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The illustration pictured here is of 'FaunaBaby' by A.D. . It's easy to see why A.D. cannot be bothered spending two years producing one doll avec moi, when a figure can be drawn two dimensionally in relative record time wearing simply the coolest clothes on the planet. Yes, in Oslo style.
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For more on 'FaunaBaby', rustle around A.D.'s home site which is http://www.angeldevilland.com/

New Girl

Here she is. She doesn't have a name yet. A.D. said that anyone who doesn't have her real hair, can't have a name.

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The new girl has just come off of a month long exhibition at Jericho where she played 'Alice'. This is the first of her portraits from photographer Richard Gardner.

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To see more of our work and Richard Gardner's photographic exhibition of the dolls we created, visit Bebe collection at: www.richardgardnerphotography.com .

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Our new girl is an Orchid-sized sculpt by A.D. Puchalski. A.D. is an east coast graphic illustrator who can be reached here: www.angeldevilland.com .

Shock Cinema

Apparently, A.D. has been very busy moonlighting. Many of us have been left mourning the cessation of the "iamdollface" live journal which A.D. purportedly has no time for, while in fact, said artist has been very busy being tony and erudite. If you look, you will see that not all of the film criticism is being done by the film critic.
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No wonder our friend is so busy and has no time for sculpting. No wonder why Alice is taking so long.
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We were discussing the art on Japanese soda cans. We are enamoured of them. A.D. pointed me here:
http://shockcinema.blogspot.com/ , telling me that all of the monster cans which we liked so much were sold out. This ends our dream of a complete little collection of queer Asian food art.
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I never get tired of coke bottles and creative soda cans, but
I get awfully tired of watching hopelessly bad films, don't you? Solve the problem and avoid them by subscribing to Shock Cinema magazine. It's difficult to find on newsstands, no matter what Quentin Tarrantino leads you to believe. You can find it here: http://www.shockcinema.com/.

Lucile

"Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot, like me? Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak, like me ? "
- pop song lyrics

Tony's a hot guy. Figuratively and literally, considering that it's one hundred degrees Fahrenheit where he lives and sweltering summer hasn't yet begun.
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Who does such a hot guy fall in love with? Who else, but Lucile.
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I had heard that Lucile was to die for, that Lucile was gorgeous, that she was stacked and loaded and rocked ones socks.
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Of course, I asked for a picture of Lucile to share with you.
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NETO members rejoice. Your season has begun. For the past couple of years, NETO, the NorthEastTimingOrganization has welcomed bikers to join the fold of nostalgic race car lovers. Neither a bike nor a car is required for joining NETO. If you love nostalgic motor sports visit: http://www.neto-nostagia.com/ to find out more.
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Pictures from last year's NETO picnic which Orchid attended are still here on the blog.

The Journeyman

People have been asking, "Where are the dolls?"

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Sometimes, that means "Where are they on the blog? I can't find them ...." and sometimes it means "What is Orchid, her friends, and her sisters, doing today?"

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On the blog, they are scattered throughout. You scroll through, follow links, and find all sorts of doll pictures; those that we make and those which have been made by our friends.

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For those who need to know where they are and what they're doing now, Orchid and a number of other girls, including two new ones, are once again off to Richard Gardner's studio for more photographs. When Orchid returns home in June, she will begin her music lessons with theHarpist.

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Orchid's sister Window, whom many of you have certainly not forgotten, is home and is getting ready for a party. The better one's imagination is, the better the party will be. The party is in an elegant remote part of London at fabled DarkHouseQuarter. For the past couple of weeks I have been stitching a proper party gown for Window. A darling heart shaped bodice, miles of glittering sequin trim, taffeta ruffles and taffeta roses, all in a luscious burgundy wine color. It brings out the pink in her eyes. The MasterofDarkHouseQuarter should be very pleased.

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For those of you who have never visited Dark House Quarter, you really should go. This is your chance. Look: Stephen has sent one of his coaches for you. Dare you go? You wouldn't want to be late. Tour the house during the day, but remember: the party goes into full swing at the stroke of midnight. Don't be afraid. Remember: Window is going.

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The coach will take you here: http://www.darkhousequarter.com/

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Should you like the coach so much that you wish to have one of your own, Stephen will provide you with one from his fleet; they are a limited edition. You can purchase your very own coach here: http://poveditions.com/index.php?id=14 Travel in safety, comfort and style. I love them. Just think of all the wonderful places where the Journeyman can take you....

Marie Corelli

"... even those luxurious individuals who, seated in elegant drawing-rooms before blazing fires, easily forgot that there were such bitter things as cold and poverty ..."
- Marie Corelli

Marie Corelli was a very popular author in the late nineteenth century England. Certainly no one felt greater social responsibility than she. Her thought provoking theosophical ghost tales are still beloved today- by those of us who are into such things.

The first trick to being 'into such things' is knowing they exist. Marie Corelli's works typically fall squarely into the 'rare' and 'out of print' category.

If you don't know who Marie Corelli is, and, of course, I am insisting that if you love Victorian supernatural fiction you most certainly should investigate her, visit:

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/corelli/salmonson1.html

That link brings you to an essay on Marie. If you're in the mood for a present day haunted bookshop which is odd and interesting, visit: http://www.violetbooks.com/ .

If it's late in the evening, and you just want a wee tale to wend away the midnight hours, visit:

http://www.classicreader.com/read.php/bookid.2980/sec./ 'The Hired Baby' is one of Marie Corelli's short stories.

Nice and Odd

Orchid has one of these. Do you?

Debbie Kirkpatrick makes the oddest dolls and puts together the most wonderful slide shows to showcase them. Visit http://www.oddolls.net to see more.

Origami Dollar

We spend an inordinate amount of time these days discussing Japanese origami. With a probable 'Oriental Exhibit' for us looming on the distant horizon, origami is a natural consideration for inclusion.
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I don't do it; maybe that's why I say that the time spent discussing it seems "inordinate". Talking about angles and bone folders all day long will never enable me to fold straight. I don't have a straight bone in my body. Therefore, symmetrical anal retentive art does not appeal to me in the 'doing' sense.
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I won't do it, but I certainly admire it. If I come up with the dollar, will somebody make me this little guy?
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I love his eyeballs.

Strange Dolls

I've been waiting a long time to introduce you to Beth Robinson; too long in fact. I'm forced once again to apologize for being so far behind in my posting and in disseminating the information that I've promised to some of you.
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I love everything about Beth Robinson. I love her orderly site, I love her nasty sharp little scissors, I love her gratitude for her many fans. And, of course, I love her strange dolls.
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If you are squeamish, do not look. They are carefully made and magnificently strange. They are not for your average person. And, thank goodness they're not, because there are not enough of them to go around. In fact, you will probably have to get in line behind Orchid. I've told you that she has a doll collection of her own, right?
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The photograph that you see here is from Beth's 'Broken Hearts' series from this past St.Valentine's day. How could I not love this? With hearts as one of my signatures, I was mad crazy for these pieces. I'm going to ask Beth to always keep one of the 'Hearts' series out there, so that you can always see at least one; they were pure genius.
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Beth is a very serious, very busy, full-time artist. Her work, fortunately, is highly in demand. All of it is one of a kind. If you see it, and you love it, buy it. One of a kind means exactly that: one.

Visit www.strangedolls.net . Try to snag one of these creatures for your very own. Be sure to look for her map so you can sign it.

Save the Date

Mark your calendars: Orchid gets married in January 2010.
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Yes, you are all invited.