The Blessing	Woman who fell from the Sky	Peter	No Title	Befana
Mary	Rive Gauche	Friends	Jack	Sandman

Sarah Russell is a self-taught dollmaker who has studied myth and legend for many years. Before becoming a doll artist, she was a professor at the University of Colorado and the University of Memphis where she taught courses in communication and the impact of myth in modern culture. She holds a PhD in Communication Theory. Sarah believes that through dollmaking, the myths she loves become tangible.

Sarah's dolls combine a variety of artistic pursuits. The heads, hands and feet are sculpted of oil-based clay which is fired, hand painted and finished in wax. Each body is constructed of canvas over a wire armature with careful attention to posture and movement. Finally, original patterns for clothing, shoes and accessories are developed, resulting in one-of-a-kind figures which seem to be caught in a moment which reveals their personality and life story.

When Sarah competed in the Rocky Mountain Regional Doll Show after only four months of dollmaking, her figures took two first prizes, and she has continued that tradition, receiving top honors in national and international doll, fine crafts, and fine art shows. Her work has been featured in Contemporary Doll Collector, Doll Crafter, Dolls Magazine, Doll Reader, Puppen Machen, The Global Doll Society's Mitglieder Magazin and the forthcoming book The Portrait of Dolls: A Journey Through Time by Carol Jacobsen. She was also named one of America's best Santa artists by Early American Homes magazine.

Sarah and her husband Roy Clariana live in Royersford, PA during the winter where Roy is a professor at Penn State University. They spend summers in Spring Creek Canyon near Almont, CO. Although Sarah uses her maiden name as an artist, she signs her work "Sarah Ana" as a tribute to her husband and muse.

Selected Galleries and Shows:

• Edith Lambert Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
• Paragon Gallery, Crested Butte, CO
• Solos Colorado, Aspen, CO
• Carlyn Gallery, Grand Haven, MI
• Show of Hands, Denver, CO
• Original Doll Artists Council of America (ODACA)
• Juried Member, Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen; Bucks County Guild of Craftsmen
• United Nations Doll Exhibition, 1999-2000, invited exhibitor
• The Museum of Arts and Sciences, Macon, GA, Contemporary Doll Art, 1999, Invited Exhibitor
• United Federation of Doll Clubs, Nat'l Conference, Washington D.C. 1999, 1st place in artist-created original dolls
• Santa Fe Doll Art, 1997, 1998, 2000; Juried Exhibitor, Silver Medal in the Original Doll Category, 1997
• Edith Lambert Gallery Invitational Show, 1998
• Sirocco Invitational Doll Show, Williamsburg, VA, 1998, Juried Exhibitor
• Haverford School Fine Arts Show, Haverford, PA, 1998, Juried Exhibitor
• Chester County Historical Society Fine Arts Show, West Chester, PA 1998, 1999, Juried Exhibitor
• Global Doll Society, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1995, 1st place in Original Tableau, Popular Choice Award, Silver Cup for Best Overall Original Doll given by Puppen Machen Magazine
• National Institute of American Doll Artists, 1994, 1996, Guest Artist
• Rocky Mountain Regional Doll Fantasy, 1992 - 1999, 8 blue ribbons, Best of Show, October, 1993; Booth Awards, October 1996, July, 1998
• Denver Museum of Dolls and Miniatures, Guest Artist and Teacher, 1996
• Oxford Art Society's 99th Fall Exhibition, Oxford, England, 1995, Juried Exhibitor
• International Doll Exposition, 1994, Invited Exhibitor by Dollmakers' Journal
• Grant Humphries: Springtime in Colorado 1995, Juried Exhibitor, Best of Show
• Grant Humphries: Christmas in Colorado 1994, 1996, Juried Exhibitor
• Show of Hands Toy Show 1994, Juried Exhibitor