Dressed to the nines

Dressed to the nines

Recently I had a bit of fun in the studio in-between reorganizing things.  Right before a new bout of painting and a new body of work, I pull everything out of its corners and reorganize that which has accumulated or found its way into chaos.  It’s a fun but tedious process that makes me eager to put paint to canvas instead of stuff in bins.  I’ve noticed it’s a very important part of my process.  Less procrastination more making literal space for new things and ideas.

 In the process of reorganizing, I decided my art doll needed a new outfit.  (That’d be my ADD kicking in…a project within a project within a project.) Ever since I started painting in 2005 at age 30, I SO wanted an art doll to have around the studio.  It tapped into my childlike wonder and it sounded like fun to find new outfits for her.  When I was working on a commission where I needed a specific pose and had no models, I decided it was time to buy the doll.  I didn’t end up using her poses for the painting, but she has inspired ideas for paintings yet to come.

As she is naked and full of  joints I found I wanted to clothe her.  The desire to take care of the animate and inanimate objects of my life is a leftover from a tumultous and unstable childhood.  I may have been abused and neglected, but I’d “feed” my stuffed animal, cover them with blankets while I was gone, or as with my art doll, place a stuffed hamster companion nearby so she wouldn’t get lonely.  It gave me a sense of purpose and order in what was at the time a crazy and frightening world.  So it kind of follows that during an upheaval in the studio, I’d seek comfort in a childhood habit…taking care of my doll.

Clothing this doll ended up being more difficult than I’d imagined.  She’s no Barbie.  She has bigger hips and thicker thighs, big feet and a sizeable chest/abdomen that makes it hard to fit.   After a bit of research I found some inexpensive fantasy dresses made in China that at least cover her, but do not close.   Changing her world, even if only her clothes, helps me tap into the sense of safety and fun that I had in small moments as a child.  I feel like she is a quiet companion at the studio, ever observing and ever present.  And as a thank you for that companionship, I enjoy dressing her to the nines.

BTW…if anyone knows where I can get neat outfits for an art model doll, please let me know.  I’d love to add clothes that actually fit to her collection. 

Ta ta for now, T.M.

 

© 2011 T.M.Gand.  All rights reserved.

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