Steampunk Doll

This delightfully charming Steampunk doll was created by Georgina Diaz who will be teaching this online class with me June 5th. It will be great fun both for doll artists and anyone else interested in what constitutes Steampunk.

This class, along with the Beaded Felt Ball Necklace class May 8, will complete the series of back to back online classes I have offered since last October when I was nudged out of retirement to teach Icon Dolls.

I will, of course, continue to create my own art. There are so many ideas which are clamoring for expression!

Inspiration, or, One Thing Leads to Another

Last year I attended a fabulous exhibit of South American paintings, 1600-1825, entitled The Virgin Saints and Angels. These images inspired me to create three icon dolls, though quite against my will, they were colorful and "modern". The relationship between my original inspiration and the work I produce always appears to be obscure. I would love to know how inspiration works for other artists.

I do know that the work of my students is always very different from that of my own, the class sample, but I always thought that was because I encourage their creativity.....to create from their own soul.

I taught an online class on Icon Dolls last October, and featured a line-up of gorgeous work by students, including one by Anne Davis. However, now, 6 months after the class, Anne has completed yet another.

Anne writes: "She's an Icon of Inspiration; she has pearls for wisdom, oak leaves and acorns (on her belt buckle) for strength, patience and "inner fire", and a crystal ball to help track down those elusive creative ideas. The eternity knot stands for an infinity of inspiration."

Nice work, Anne!

From Messy to Neat

O.k., a quick disclaimer. This studio belongs to someone else. I was taken by how she flipped her viewpoint from being "an impossible mess...can't work here" to one of "looks pretty tidy...I can do this." But these are my words....you can read karma's here.

I just love this because we can apply that shift to just about everything, not just to the shape our studios are in. It's all about perception, not reality.

Meet My New Kitty, Santino

"Perhaps it is because cats do not live by human patterns, do not fit themselves into prescribed behavior, that they are so united to creative people."
- Andre Norton

Beaded Felt Necklace

The supply list is now available for e-mailing to all paid students. Please see "Classes" for more information, and come join the fun!

What Inspires US?

Artists are all inspired by something, but we don't always remember what, specifically, inspired a piece of work. When I saw this ad for the little clay figure, I clipped it. I don't usually work like this, but I was curious about the process.

Well, as you can see, there isn't much similarity other than my cat doll carries a round shape on her head....only it is a nest with two blue birds. Even when I want to copy something, my work takes off in its own direction. What inspires you?


"Spring Marmelade" is 12" tall, and is padded and wrapped over a wire armature.

Self Portraits

I think an artist's self portrait is a delightful art-form, and these three are among my favorites. The center image is Kathy Carvellas. See her work here.

A Happy Necklace

Not only does this look joyful, but it was incredibly joyful to create. Even beading the felted balls was meditative, and so much fun that I had trouble putting it down long enough to take care of other things.

I'm going to teach a class on this!

Last Chance!

The online class Healing Doll: The Sun begins Friday, April 3rd and continues through the month. Your last chance to sign up is April 5th. After that, the class will be closed.

To register, send a note with PayPal payment of $30 to
MaiLiis@ix.netcom.com no later than April 5th.