Choirboy doll. Polymer clay, wire, fabric, paint. Su Leslie, 2016. Image: Su Leslie, 2016
Needing more physical projects in my largely online world, I’ve been pootling around making various things, indulging my enthusiasm for anything artistic or craft-based
The messenger bag I talked about a couple of weeks ago (here), worked well on its maiden trip to Wellington last weekend, and I’ve finally got around to photographing one of the dolls I made as a result of a workshop with my friend, artist Claire Delaney.
I love the doll-making process. Not only does it involve different techniques and processes (clay-sculpting, armature-making, fabric construction); it’s also wonderfully iterative. At each stage I’m surprised by something and often have to change direction in the project to accommodate what has evolved (especially at the clay-sculpting stage).
The boy-child claims I’ve used him as inspiration for my choirboy doll — but I can’t imagine what he means. Hehe.
The boy-child at 8; with a box of hand-painted eggs ready for our annual Easter Egg rolling. Angelic face, but a choirboy??? Image: Su Leslie, 2006
Well, maybe the hair? The boy-child at 11. Image, Su Leslie, 2009.
Claire is a talented artist, and a very good teacher. She began making dolls as an aid to illustrating the children’s book she has written and published. Little Wing is a lovely story, beautifully illustrated. It is letterpress printed and hand-bound — a true labour of love.
Find out more about Claire’s art.
The making of Little Wing
