Russian Dolls Collage

I didn't draw the dolls, I cut them from a brochure.

China and Dolls

Two pages from my tall sketchbook.

Above, collage -a torn page from a book about China, and a found image. I used brusho inks, metallic and other pastels.

Below, another drawing from the 'culture' project. I used 2 card cut outs of 'Russian dolls' and used them both for each figure, one inside the other. Pen liner and aquamarkers.

Bears and Bag Ladies

Two more pictures developed from the Russian doll [culture] theme.

I have been using a card template for the doll shapes on many of the pages in this sketchbook including the bears above. After drawing round the shape I drew on leg shapes and ears.

The same shape was used for all the dolls on the drawing below.

Bluebells and Changedoll

These are from a long sketchbook [16" x 8"] I started a while ago for the culture project but I didn't do much in it. I painted bluebells yesterday, there are a lot of them around at the moment. The drawing below I did sometime ago [I usually put the date on a book when I start it but I didn't on this one]. But I started with the first Russian doll-like figure then altered something on the next, then altered something else on the next and so on. Like morphing but not on a computer. Click on the image to enlarge.

Fashion Dolls

More dolls from my culture sketchbook [sketchbook 20]

The top one is fashion from 1820 and the bottom one is from 1921.

The top doll folds over to reveal the one below.

Gifts to Arty Friends

The gifts to my arty friends were all based on a kind of Russian doll, I'll explain more further down.

My gift to Gill was three cards of art buttons. 

I altered Graphics Fairy images for the backing cards.

For Helen I made some earrings, on one side the man and the woman on the other. I printed my artwork on t-shirt transfer paper.

 I gave Marian a hand painted brooch. After painting I stitched around the lines and edges on the sewing machine.

Vicky was given a hanging doll of herself, one one side I drew her features and on the other the original photo. I used t-shirt transfer paper again. This particular type came out quite plasticky but it may have been because I didn't read the instructions fully[doh!], but it worked out OK for the gifts, it may not feel good on a t-shirt though. I have done something else since and it was not quite as plastic like but not quite so shiny.

I also designed some wrapping paper and gift tags which I printed on my inkjet. I also made little boxes for the jewellery and covered them in the paper. Click on the images for a closer look.

The project was/is to do with culture and I chose to concentrate on historical fashion presented on a Russian like doll. These are some pages from my sketchbook, the start of the project and I used some of these pictures for the above gifts and paper.

Gifts from my Friends.

I went out for a meal with my arty friends and came back with lots of lovely gifts!

From Gill I got a fabric box, a pincushion and a vintage book. The pin cushion has a ring at the side so that it can be either hung up on a wall or used on a flat surface.

Lovely braid.

From Helen I got an apron with a row of appliqued Russian dolls. 

There is a stuffed doll that is detachable, this is a pin cushion.

From Marian two fabric boxes, new places to put my bits and bobs. Some of this fabric has Russian dolls on it too. 

And a lovely fabric with quotes...

From Vicky, a laser cut wooden reindeer which is a snazzy washi tape holder.

There is a lovely tape with postage stamps on it. The book with a silver reendeer on the front has squared paper within.

I've got some clever and talented friends eh?

I'll show what I gave next time.