The title of this painting is "Beauty Green", and it's in the West of Center show at Northville Art House. The opening was Friday, show is up through June 26.
The two works below are for the Faces and Portraits show at Grosse Pointe Arts Center. This show is actually coming down today.
His name is Gogo, and he's a DD-Anne basic Near. Here with his new BFFs, an Orient Doll Vampire and a DD-Anne Zombie Near.
Toys i got for myself with the rotofugi order of Marshalls for repaints.
New dunnys atop the Mad-L awaiting a paint job.
Lander and his cunning hat.
Yesterday we brought all our Hypermaniac dolls together for photos. My bad if i get my ID's wrong, and i'm leaving the doll names out for simplicity's sake. Seated at left, Muse, top row, L to R, three Lacrimas with different faceups, two Omicrons, a Guye-Do, right chair arm, Sirang. Front row, Na-Hu, Skadi, Choyangbi, Kakiva, Eliot, another Guye-Do! We think there are one or two other Hypermaniac owners in Michigan, but we don't know them. If they see this post, it's their invitation to the next gathering.
Muse.
The beauteous Sirang, faceup by MikikoDoll.
Eliot, among the rarest of the rare, with his Guye-Do.
Choyangbi and Kakiva.
Omicron and Guye-Do
Na-Hu and Skadi.
Three versions of Lacrima. I think these are all 'renewals" (reissues). I know mine (on the left) is.
Here are a few shots of other, nonHyperdolls in attendance.
My friend Marsh's Raurencio Arael Nathaniel is here for a visit, and seemed to hit it off with Amaia immediately. I'd forgotten that they had a history.
About six months ago~
He looked pretty put out.
Today~
For the past few years, i've received many comments about ball jointed dolls, and questions about availability. Also about affordability, as this is a really expensive hobby. If you want to explore all aspects of it by customizing, it's good to start out with an 'entry level' doll. One great option is the tiny line of dolls from Angel Of Dream. This is the 27cm fairy girl Wan Wan, who has charm, personality and craftsmanship for one of the lowest price tags on the market.
Like the higher end dolls in this size range, the Angel Of Dream tinies have a separate ball joint near the hip and rotating thighs for 'cute' sitting and enhanced poseability. Garden has fairly flat feet, and can stand by herself on one or two legs, and also touch her face. Like Custom House dolls, here wrists are jointed but pretty rigid, and her hands aren't very expressive - more mittenlike. However she has character, grace and stability sometimes missing in minis three times her price.
My Wan Wan, Garden, seen here with my Bambicrony Blue Elf Kumi, is a bit taller and leggier than the Kumi or the Volks Yo-SD. Generally they can all share the same clothes and shoes, but Garden's torso is a bit more slender, and her shoulders and hips are quite narrow. In these photos she's wearing a dress i made, a resale Yo-SD outfit, and the clothes from a limited DD-Anne Lous Near with Marsh pants. Her wig size is a 6-7 and her eyes 11 or 12mm. Mine arrived blank, and i did her light faceup, found a handmade wig from the trunk, and ordered very pale glass eyes and lashes, to register through her tiny eyeholes. The head sculpt is very deep, dramatic, and practically paints itself. Garden's paint is minimal, but she could have a very colorful sparkly look just as easily.
Alternatively, HappyHouse Dolls offers free faceups on the AOD dolls they sell, which come with default random glass eyes but no wig. Wan Wan and the other tinies are also available on eBay from Dollfie's Fashion Island. Like Angel Of Dream's own shopping mall, they charge around $30 for a faceup. Many companies charge extra for 'sanding service' to remove mold seams, but i've yet to hear from anyone who ordered an AOD doll that didn't arrive sanded free of charge. The base price for Wan Wan and the other AOD tinies is $120 in your choice of four resin tones (Garden is whiteskin). You may also select gender body type - though a female is pictured with Wan Wan, and a male with Guai Guai, you can ask them to put any head with male or female parts. If you order one of these dolls from Fashion Island or another U.S. distributor, shipping in the states is only $15, though the compact size and lightness means they don't cost a fortune to ship, even from Asia. The Wan Wan has 'elf' ears, but if that doesn't float your boat, check out the four other 1/6 size styles available. I'm partial to the sleeping Guai Guai, and hope to adopt him one day.
Sometimes on the doll boards and meetups prejudices are expressed concering 'cheap' dolls, and Chinese manufatured ones in particular. In the case of AOD, i think the quality is exceptional for the price. The head sculpts on the larger dolls don't thrill me, but they have devoted fans and many fine hybrid dolls sport AOD bodies. The first principle is that you select a sculpt that you like. If an AOD doll speaks to you, you will not have to sacrifice quality for price.
Meet Garden, the new, day-old arrival~
Minimal faceup on the fly, by me, but i like her that way. All she really needs are cool lighter eyes that fit, and pale lashes to match. And clothes. And shoes. But, she's home.