Dreamy Dolls and Sweet Easter Wishes

I've become enamored with the work of Christine Alvarado. Her wonderful dolls have the most beautiful faces and incredible detail. "Paloma and Rabbit Mask" seemed like a perfect fit for this time of year.

Her series of "lady bird" ornaments are so clever and original. I adore their little crowns and pearl necklaces.

Each of her creations have such a distinct personality. "Seneca and Julep" is part of a whole series that includes delightful little dogs.

In addition to her blog, you can see much more of Christine's beautiful work on her Flickr site. Be prepared to stay awhile. It's impossible not to be drawn in to the magic she creates.

Wishing you a sweet and wonderful Easter!

Semi-sweet

All of last weeks posts about hearts and flowers sent me into sweetness overload. I've found the perfect artist to help me make the transition back to semi-sweetness. Horriblesweet (after a bit of detective work, I think her name is Lydia) is an artist from the Netherlands who specializes in amazing art dolls, like "Naked", shown above, and unusual headgear.

She has a wonderfully soft and beautiful color palette and when it's combined with her edgy-looking sculpts, I can understand where the name Horriblesweet comes from.

This sculpt belongs to a series she's created called "Birdman".

I'm fascinated by the thought of several of her "Heads" lined up on the mantel in my studio. To see more incredible work by Horriblesweet, visit her Flickr site here.

Dahlia is eating her peas . . .

. . . and the world is a much better place because of it! I'm in awe of the amazing sculptures from Jodi and Richard Creager. They address every detail in every doll they create. Somehow, I don't think this piece would have the same impact if Dahlia were eating french fries instead of peas. And, her high chair is wonderful, as is her dog, Scruff.

Jodi and Richard have been working together in their Arizona studio for almost 30 years. They combine their artistic visions to create just 20-25 art dolls every year. Of their process, Richard says, "As the character develops we become emotionally involved in the life and story we have created for each piece. Knowing the character inside and out helps to breathe life into the Doll."

I'm mesmerized by every piece I've seen but I'm particularly fond of the more edgy and unusual ones like "Githa RenRaven and her newfangled Gob-o-Lux vacuum". I'd run the sweeper every day if I had one like that. And "Frank's little sister" Freida is hysterical. Her shoes, her skirt, the dog's leash, and the dog - it's all just about as perfect as it could be.

Whatever you do, you need to set aside some time to go to their website and marvel at the incredible characters they've created. Their talent and their vision are simply extraordinary.