Saturday, February 25, 2012

Like the Wind... They're Changing!

I have been having so much fun with these two characters!
"Tutti"... who will eventually be holding a needle and thread,
while trying to thread that needle... is now wearing a monocle 
with one eye squinting and straining;
to get the thread through the eye of the needle!
(Oh, do I relate to Tutti!)
Frutti... has been given fuller cheeks and some "baggage" 
under his eyes.  (And Oh, do I relate to that!)
He will be holding a basket with vintage wooden spools
tucked inside; helping his brother Tutti!
(What was that about being my brother's keeper?)
Blessings to you on this weekend... Daryle

Thursday, February 23, 2012

W.I.P. The Brownie Twins!

These two guys have been such a delight to work on!
Their heads and hands will need a base coat
and then I will tackle the painting.
I brushed some "temporary" eyes on their faces
just to give some sense of personality.
(I love Frutti's gently titled head)
My favorite quote from one of the books in the series is
"'Tis true, mistakes will sometimes crawl into the handiwork of all!"
(how true is that!)
-The Brownies' Quilting Bee   by Palmer Cox

Did you notice (from early posts)?  Frutti is now Tutti and visa versa.  
Palmer Cox rarely added beards to his whimsical drawings
of the Brownie clan... the exception was Tutti!
After looking at a variety of "beard" materials: 
mohair, Tibetan lamb hair, and some local sheep's wool; 
I decided to simply sculpt his beard with paper clay!

Buttons need to be added to the waistcoats
(made from a repurposed wool blanket that I hand-dyed)
The under-blouse/shirt is made with ruched, polished cotton
that Katie and I found at a resale shop in Lancaster.
And hands... Ugh!  They need hands!

Enjoy this day... Daryle

Saturday, February 18, 2012

ADQ Book Character Challenge!

I am working on two dolls for the Art Doll Quarterly
Book Character Challenge... coming up in a few months.
I have decided to create the Brownie Twins, 
from Palmer Cox's book series: Tutti and Frutti 
The body armature is made with deer suede, stuffed with fiber-fill.
The heads are sculpted with paper clay and then I added some
hardwood buttons that I found in my shop, for the eyes.
I need to add a bit more paper clay around the eyes... 
then begin to work on their hands and clothes. Ugh!
They are about 17 inches tall, self-standing on wooden dowel legs
and hardboard feet.
Yes... they make me smile!
Thanks so much for stopping by... Daryle

A Week with the Boys!

We just returned from spending the week with our two
grandsons: Ryan (age 3) and Jonathan (4 months).
We had the joy of baby-sitting; as daughter Naomi
returned to teaching, following her maternity leave.
Jonathan loves to be sung to... (and being held, rocked, cuddled!)
Ryan loves playing on his Les Paul guitar (like his daddy)!
We love just looking into his big, blue eyes!

We are blessed!  Daryle & Katie

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Healing in His Wings

Crackled and Completed!
You know I love the details...
For me, the song tucked away for another day,
the 30¢ special delivery stamp,
and the scripture verse from Malachi 4:2 speak volumes!
“But for you who fear My name, 
the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings."
-Malachi 4:2
Blessings... Daryle