A
Diary for The Madison Art
Dollz Collaborative Journey
Entry by Pam Bell
A
Collaborative Art Doll Project is not an original idea.
It
began when two neighbors, Pam and Brenna, finally discovered that we were both creative,
energetic, fiber people living on Charles Lane with only one house between us.
On
an August morning I invited Brenna to my house. I wanted to share with her my studio space
and my quilts. We were walking through my house towards the back porch to share a cup of
iced mint tea when she spotted The Art Doll Chronicles by Somerset Studio on my
pile of reading material. Brenna immediately said” I have that book, and I want to do
that in Madison” and I responded " Me too”.
" So lets…”
and the journey began.
Through
a chain of creative people, we extended invitations to a total of eight artists. That
would mean the journey would last eight months.
Sept
10,2002
We
gathered to establish very simple guidelines. In one month we would meet again with the
beginnings of a doll, a journal, and a disposable camera. A traveling
vessel/container/bag/whatever was optional. On the last day of each month the doll would
be delivered to the name that appeared next on the member list. On the January journey
date we would share a potluck supper together. Thus, the Madison Art Dollz Collaborative
began.
Oct
30, 2002:
What
excitement and creative energies poured into my house!
Being the senior of the group I have had lots of meetings at my house, but none
like this. It was exuberant.
The
beginnings of our dolls were diverse, some elaborate, and some very simple. We each shared
what we felt we wanted or needed to share about our doll. A couple of us had digital
cameras, so we took a beginning photograph of the doll and its maker.
Debbie
read us her journal entry. Since our first gathering she had become very ill and was just
now beginning her healing process. Gretchen wrote us a long letter about her doll. She was
about to become a grandmother for the first time. In fact, she left us early to go to the
delivery room. We waited for Liz to start. She had one of those harried supper hours with
her kids. Kathy, a new mom, was juggling all the demanding needs of a new baby with trying
to get inventory ready for her mid November show. Brenna had just finished her first
wholesale show in Kentucky.
Gretchen offered to put the Madison Art Dollz
Collaborative on her Florilegium web site. We are now at
http://www.florilegium.com/artdollz.htm.
During
the first month a play date was shared by members to explore stamping. November 17 at 10am
will be the next play date.
Sunday,
November 17: Sherrie and Jeff Shokler warmly invited us for a play date to
explore and learn about their technique in mosaic art.
Pam, Susan, Liz, and Debbie attended. Kathy
stopped by for a hello as she lives a couple of houses down from Sherrie and Jeff. We each attacked our project – some did
flower pots and the Pam did a frame. Sherrie and Jeff had at least 101 questions thrown at
them as we explored.
Thursday,
January 30: We all gathered to exchange our dolls and share in a potluck
supper. Food was yummy, and it was a great opportunity to learn more about each other.
Everyone was excited to see their own doll and how it had evolved. Each doll had its moment in the sun as each of us
asked questions and marveled at how each doll was evolving. Personally, I wanted to keep
Guidata for more than the moment, read her diary, and discover the
changes………but she went forth to another muse that night.
Saturday,
February 8: Lizzie had a Valentine Day sale at her home. I for one had
never seen her dolls, so it was a wonderful opportunity to see them all in one place. Of
course, the best thing about Lizzie’s dolls is that most of them have wonderful names.
Saturday,
February 15: Debbie exhibited her work at HOMEMADE in Hillsdale
Shopping Center and demonstrated her technique of placing fused fabric on overalls.
Sherrie, Jeff, Susan, and I attended. Debbie's
collage quilted pieces, overalls, and two creative scrapbooks of her work, were there for
us to share. I had Molly Ann of Mended Heart [Debbie's doll] that month, so
seeing Debbie’s work as a whole, my creative juice sent me straight home with a new
idea for Molly.
February:
Mary Bergin of the Capital Times called me. I think maybe Gretchen had initially been
contacted by Linda Brazill of the Capital Times and passed my name on. Mary was interested in meeting with some of us to
talk about the project and do some photographing for an article. I returned the phone call but felt that I
could not commit without getting everyone’s thoughts. Thank goodness for
email…everyone responded to my question “ Should we do this?” The response was not unanimous. Kathy,
Sherrie, Brenna, Gretchen and myself all weigh in with thoughts about doing something
closer to the end of the project. Debbie, Susan and Lizzie were willing to talk. Mary said she would be happy to catch up with us
in June.
Sunday,
March 30 : Another play date. The challenge was to create in one afternoon a
self-portrait/movable paper doll. Pam hosted the event and Sherri and Deb attended. Everyone brought items to share for the creative
project. It was a great opportunity to get to
know each other and share a few hours of creative energies together.
June
1: Each doll was returned to it’s owner.
Monday,June
16 : Pam hosted a potluck deck supper.
A fun, fun evening. All the dolls were left at Pam’s house for anyone to come and visit and photograph for three days. During that time, Mary
Bergin of the Capital Times interviewed Pam, Sherri, Liz and Debbie for an article on the dollz. The dollz were
also photographed in the Capital Times studio. This article will appear in the
Saturday June 28, Capital Times.
The photo below was taken at the
Potluck supper. From left to right: Back row: Lizzie Oz Primozic, Pam
Bell, Kathy Pickett and Susan Marks. Bottom Row: Debbie
Kaufmann, Brenna Hopkins, and Sherri Shokler (Gretchen
was unable to attend).
