Alpha Jack	End of the Trail	Glad Rags	Hypocrisy	Jade
Marionette Master	Ready for a Red Hat Day	A Season of Loss	The Royal Tailor Ponders a New Dimension	Writer's Block

Bio
I rarely played with dolls as a child, although my mother and grandmother kept trying to get me to do so!  They would shake their heads and not understand when I preferred to be busy with pencil and paper, to be drawing horses and people. Later studies in oil painting, drawing, sewing and other needle arts paved the way to my doll making journey.  That journey began in 1998 when I took a workshop on creating one-of-a-kind dolls in polymer clay. To say that it was a life-changing event is not an exaggeration. When I came home after the workshop, I knew that I would make dolls for the rest of my life. I was very surprised.

My dolls have an elongated form. Realistic details provide an aspect of believability. Costuming, gesture, and accessories may add humor or whimsy. My most successful dolls show movement, a gesture, and have a title which helps tell the story. Themes that interest me involve life and language, innuendo and circumstance, the human condition, subtle humor, or a new twist on a familiar phrase.

Most often, I choose ‘humble’ fabrics for doll costumes, such as cotton muslin or other natural fibers, cheesecloth, plain quilter’s cottons, fabrics I can dye, discharge, paint or otherwise color and manipulate. These processes provide another avenue for artistic expression, and allow me to have more input toward the doll’s identity. My dolls’ costumes often feature torn fabrics. More recent dolls have a muted or monochromatic palette. To my eye, this combination allows a greater harmony between the sculpted aspects of the doll and its costume. Interplay of soft and hard textures provides interest.

Sculpting is my favorite part of the dollmaking process, and air-drying clay is my medium of choice. The characteristics of this clay suit the way I like to work, slow and methodical. If I am able to complete four new artist dolls in a year, it’s a good year. 

In case I sound too serious and cerebral, doll making, most of all, is just plain fun. It brings me joy to be able to express a concept through a doll where words are inadequate or cumbersome, to bring a touch of humor or thoughtfulness to the viewer of my work. It is my play. My grandmother would be pleased.