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Jan's dolls reflect a great variety of styles and personalities. Rather than trying to describe her dolls, Jan suggests that interested people would do best to visit her web site so they may see for themselves the variety of dolls that Jan currently has available. The whole doll making process is very exciting for Jan and her staff: beginning as a lump of clay in the sculpting process right through to adorning them with jewelry and adding the finishing touches. Jan stresses that each of her collections are totally different. Jan is currently working on a collection of very modern dolls, but she has explored many periods of costuming. She says, "The sizes of the dolls vary and they require different types of costuming. Also body shape changes with every collection." Jan works in sizes from 12" to 42" although she does have little ones as small as 2" but these are used mainly as accessories for the larger dolls. All aspects of doll creation are exciting to Jan. Clothing has become very special but the costume is only one part of the overall completed doll. Jan McLean's doll have won many major awards, been in prestigious displays, and are featured in museum collections. Jan was born in Invercargill, a southern city in the lower part of New Zealand. Her mother is an artist although she is not currently painting. Jan states, "My grandmother was my inspiration to make a doll as she had made one for me when I was a small child. I have one daughter and thought I would make her a creation, for posterity, little realizing what this would lead to." Jan credits her art talent to genetics. She has had no formal art training. Jan was a trained nurse but had to give this up because the doll business grew so quickly that I could not continue nursing. Jan says that all of the European doll designers have inspired her work and guided her growth as a doll artist. Jan states that geographic isolation in the early days made her very resourceful. Jan no longer teaches classes as there is not enough time in the day to undertake this but students from her previous classes have lamented the day her classes ceased because they were a lot of fun - laughed and enjoyed each other. Jan is proud that her customers find a lot of enjoyment in her dolls. She says, "We have amazing letters and comments written to us on our web site and by emails from collectors plus people who have just had pleasure from viewing the collection. It is so exciting reading their comments." 2004 Winner DOTY for Lollipop Girl: ALANI; Lollipop Girl NEENA; for FELICITY; for MILLY; for NIKKI |
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