Totally Radical

11"x 14"

Watercolor on paper

$100

As much as I marvel at what women wore in ages past, I also can't believe that we once wore stuff like this...

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Inspiration Monday: The Olympics

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Ok, so maybe they don't have anything to do with art or with paper dolls, but I love the Olympics. I don't typically watch a lot of sports on TV, but during the Olympics, I will watch just about anything- trampoline, skeet shooting, water polo, flat water canoeing, everything.

Even though I have come to grips with the fact that I will never become an Olympian, I find these people so inspiring. They dedicated their lives to doing what they love most. All their hard work and dedication culminates in just a few moments, but for these athletes it is worth it. I especially love the moments of pure joy, not only for the winners, but for those athletes who are just proud to be representing their countries, no matter that the odds are against their ever winning a medal.

Why did I decide to write about the Olympics for this week's Inspiration Monday? Because I believe that the Olympics, namely the stories of the athletes, can inspire the rest of us, no matter what we have chosen to dedicate our lives to. I know that I would drown playing water polo, that I would be too scared to jump over anything on a horse, and could never keep up with those female runners. But I have dedicated my life to making beautiful art and sharing it with the world. I only hope I can show as much determination in my art as I saw in the athletes I have spent so much time watching these past two weeks.
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My Little Wooden Shoes

11"x 14"
Watercolor on paper
$100

I was just wondering what the support is like in those wooden shoes.

Queen of the Nile

11"x14"

Watercolor on paper

$100

Right and Proper

11"x14"

Watercolor on paper

$100

An Olympic Undertaking

11"x 14"

Watercolor on Paper

$100

Why, yes, I have been painting paper dolls while watching the Olympics...

Inspiration Monday: Tillie the Toiler

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I have decided that Mondays could use a little inspirational push, so I am going to restart my "Inspiration Monday" posts. If you come across a new source of inspiration that you would like to see on the blog, please let me know!

Today's inspiration came from my endless search for vintage paper dolls. Some of you may have heard of her, but this was my first introduction to Tillie the Toiler. Tillie was a comic strip, drawn by cartoonist Russ Westover, that ran from 1921 until 1959.

Although she worked as a stenographer, Tillie's real toil appears to have been flirting with scores of men and dressing in the latest fashions. 

The strip also included some Tillie the Toiler paper dolls, which although beautiful to look at, seem like they would be amazingly hard to cut out. I do love her poses, though. They give a lot of clues to her personality, even if you haven't read the comic strip. I have copied a few of my favorite Tillie pages below.

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An Everyday Occasion

11"x 14"

Watercolor on paper

$100

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

Can you imagine maneuvering around wearing these sleeves?

You may notice that this is the first of these pieces that has a price on it. That is because I did the first few on the wrong paper. They were originally only experiments, and I didn't expect to like them so much. I am currently repainting the original 5 or 6 pieces on watercolor paper, and all new paper dolls will be on this better paper as well.

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Wearing her best

11"x 14"

Watercolor on paper

Something fit for Queen Guinevere. 

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Fiddle-de-de

11"x 14"

Watercolor on paper

Ok, so maybe this outfit is a little more Melanie than Scarlet, but you get the idea.

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One Little Maid

11"x 14"

Watercolor on paper

I was thinking recently about why I make these paper dolls, and whether I have actually shared the reasons behind them before. They aren't simply to play dress up (although that is a big factor in it.) For a number of years, I have had a fascination with clothes and how they transform you.

Back when I was in grad school, I remember waking up everyday and deciding what to wear based on how I wanted people to perceive me on that particular day. If I was headed to my internship, I would pull out my "therapist clothes." (My masters is in Art Therapy, FYI.) If I had to go to class, I had my "student clothes."

Even today, on any given day I have my "artist", "teacher", or "swing dancer" clothes. The point is, in each of these roles, I want to be perceived differently (maybe as an authority figure, quirky person, vintage fashionista), and so my clothes for each place are different.

The idea of a paper doll seemed to fit this whole concept perfectly. You have a blank paper doll girl. You know nothing about her, in fact she has no personality, until you give her some clothes to wear. In an instant she is changed into anything imaginable. She can be from any era or fill any role. 

This most recent set of paper doll clothes have all been drawn to fit the same figure, but I have tried to make them as different as possible so that her personality changes are as dramatic as possible.

What other roles do you see this paper doll girl filling?

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Fit for a queen, or her successor

11"x 14"

Watercolor on paper

I have been reading a lot about the foundation garments women wore in different eras- corsets, panniers, hoops, etc. Someone like Anne Bolyn, second wife of Henry VIII, would have had so much stuff on under this dress, it is a wonder she was able to move around very well. I guess that is why these royal women didn't do all that much.

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Men love her, women want to be her

11"x 14"

Watercolor on paper

Do you guys know what a Gibson girl is? They were the pin-up girls of their day, illustrated by Charles Dana Gibson in the 1890's and early 1900's. The Gibson girl was the epitome of beauty in her day, tall and slender, always perfectly dressed, and at ease in any situation. She was intelligent and beloved by all men, (although she often didn't have any need for them.)

I have always been fascinated by Gibson's drawings, and can't resist, whenever possible, putting them into paper doll form.

You can purchase postcards, greeting cards, or small matted prints of this piece in my Red Bubble Shop. More images, sizes and products coming soon!

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A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.
Jane Austen

11"x 14"

Watercolor on Paper

Who doesn't love a good Jane Austen novel? And you simply must have an appropriate dress to match.

Postcard, greeting card, and small matted prints of this piece are currently available in my Red Bubble Shop.

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A look behind the scenes

Several months ago, Matt and his team wandered in to the studio and asked if I would be willing to do an interview for a video they were producing. They ended up interviewing myself and my friend Christina Nicole, and the resulting video is really great.

If you have a few minutes, take a look and get a glimpse into why Christina and I do what we do. Big thanks to Matt Stephens Productions for including us in his project! (And, Matt, forgive me for taking so long to post this!)

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