Heartfelt Dolls
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    • Heartfelt Dolls: Fool's Errand or Heroine's Journey
    • Doll making as a spiritual journey
    • Igniting creativity with Heartfelt dolls
    • Heartfelt doll-making: a healing experience
    • Heartfelt Dolls: the memory keepers
    • Heartfelt Dolls on life and death
    • Heartfelt Dolls: aesthetic meditation
    • Heartfelt Dolls: using textile crafts in contemporary art
    • Heartfelt Dolls: seeking a definition
    • Heartfelt Dolls: A Political Voice?
    • Heartfelt Dolls: Face On/Face Off
    • Heartfelt Dolls jammin' with JAMTV
    • Heartfelt Dolls @The Open Studios Project Blog
    • Heartfelt Dolls @ ArtsMad Rotorua
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  • Dolls
    • Heartfelt Dolls: companions for the journey
    • The Quotidian Doll: an introduction >
      • The Quotidian Doll Blog: introducing a Heartfelt-doll-a-day
    • Diaspora: the 101 dolls project
    • Heartfelt Dolls willing to leave home (for sale) >
      • Manawatia a Matariki
      • Matariki
      • Through A Glass Darkly
      • Stitch Yourself a Boyfriend
      • Pink Walkers
      • Steampunk Dolls
      • Selfies
      • The Heroine's Journey
      • An English Country Garden
      • Hobo Chic
      • The Fisherman
      • I Shall Wear Purple
      • Enraged Woman Riding a Black and White Dog Writing Wrongs
      • Salute to the Sun
      • Old Woman in a Shoe
      • Soul Sisters
      • The Smiles Project
      • BFF
      • Blue Belles
      • Shades of Gray
      • Angels with attitude
      • Angels of gold
      • Angels
      • 'Ladies a plate'
      • Cosy up with a bit of skirt
      • Ice Palace
      • Troupe de verde
      • Animal Antics
      • Male dolls
      • Carnivale: stiltwalking dolls
      • Calendar Girls
      • Dammit dolls
      • Oh Cliche
      • Heartfelt Graffiti
      • Double Trouble
      • Lilliputians
      • Kiwi Icons
      • Faeries
    • Heartfelt Fundraisers >
      • Volunteer Fire Fighters
      • Memory keepers
      • Shades of Gray >
        • Shades of Gray Duets
        • Shades of Gray Men
      • Calendar Girls
      • Pink Walkers
      • Bandanna Chic
      • Selfies
    • Heartfelt Companions: sharing my journey with you >
      • One-of-a-kind heartfelt dolls >
        • Julie Has Flown North For The Summer
        • Hot Flash!
        • Whoops!
        • Medusa
        • The Bag Lady
        • Purple people eater
        • Social Climber
        • Place
        • Fertility Fairy
        • Smile
        • Blue Baths Belle
        • An Artist's Book
        • Pink Lady
        • Beloved
      • Heartfelt dolls in a series >
        • The Rainbow Connection
        • What's in a cup?
        • The Apple
        • Hi-Cut Internet Dolls
        • Godde Dolls
        • Shrines
        • The Rites of Autumn
        • Bibliophile
        • Seeing the world through different eyes
        • Akuba: encouraging change
        • It takes a village
        • Umbrella and Umbrage
        • A cautionary tale ...
    • Heartfelt Process, Heartfelt Transformation >
      • White Angels: A Healing Journey
      • Matron Saints
      • Creative Guardians
      • The Nest
      • Freeing the caged heart: the poets and the dollmaker
      • The Unemployment Blues
      • The Bare Necessities
      • The Heroine's Journey
      • The Alchemy of Change
      • Sticks and stones
      • Stitch yourself a boyfriend
      • Inner Child
      • Salute to the Sun
      • Bindings
      • Euphrosyne: reclaiming joy >
        • Freeing the caged heart: poetry to lift your spirits
        • The Smiles Project
        • Dancing Feet
        • Irrepressible
        • Greening: a lenten journey
        • Wild Women Like to Dance
        • I Am Woman
        • Harakeke flowers
        • Circle of friends, vessel of hope
        • Dance
        • Spirit seekers, spirit guides
      • The Great Divide: one woman's experience of divorce >
        • Numb
        • Bound
        • Burlap and lace
        • Naked
        • Reclaim
        • Bitch
        • The Devil on my back
        • Burdened
        • God alone is enough
        • Simple heart
        • Broken dreams
        • Will the real me please stand up?
        • The Classifieds
        • Sing-a-song
        • Dark nights >
          • You are dying ...
          • Beast of burden
          • Wounded healer, broken heart
          • A moment of conversion
          • Unbuilding
          • Peace
          • Transform me
          • A clean heart
          • Unwrapped
          • Doormat
          • The weight of expectation
          • Promise
          • A new me
          • The fabric of my life
          • Struggle
          • Hanging
        • Dance me To The End of Love
      • Black Dog: one woman's experience with depression >
        • The Anti-depressants
        • Some days
        • What I wish you knew about depression
    • Heartfeltfelt Emotion >
      • Gold Angels: coping with tragedy
      • Emotions: a challenge
      • Lamentation
      • Heartfelt Anger >
        • Anger Management with Dammit Dolls
        • Dammit!
    • Heartfelt Celebration! >
      • I Shall Wear Purple!
      • Birthday dolls
      • Birthday cards
      • Julie's 21st
      • Celebrate my femininity!
      • Troupe de verde
    • Heartfelt Graffiti
    • Heartfelt Care >
      • Ageing >
        • I Shall Wear Purple
        • The Seven Ages Of Woman
      • For the children
      • Living with dementia
      • Say 'NO' to family violence >
        • You don't have to take it like I did
        • Are you the one?
      • Heartfelt Conservation >
        • Seduced By The Wild
        • Feathers Over Hamurana
        • Birds
      • Living with cancer
      • Breast Cancer Awareness >
        • Hello Dollies: an article
        • Pink Walkers
        • Primal scream
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        • Hair Today
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        • Dancing Woman Labyrinth
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    • Heartfelt Comfort >
      • Girl Reclining on a Sofa
      • Cotton-soft boas
      • Wild Women Like to Hang About
    • Heartfelt Stitch >
      • Mother's Little Helper
      • Needlewomen
      • Old Woman in a Shoe
      • Delight in a cup
      • Heartfelt Companion
    • Heartfelt Wrapping >
      • Colour Blind
      • Spirit dolls
      • Bound
      • Aspects of Self
      • Wrapping as an art form
      • Wild Women Like To Dance
    • Heartfelt vestis >
      • What a wonderful world!
      • A thanksgiving vest
      • Dalmatics
      • In Praise
    • Labyrinth >
      • Shell labyrinth
      • Breast Labyrinth
      • Labyrinth scroll
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      • Dancing Woman Labyrinth
      • Hopi labyrinth
      • Bead labyrinth
      • Journey
    • ANZAC: a tribute >
      • ANZAC Quilt
      • Rawene Boys
      • ANZAC jacket
  • Heartfelt prayer
    • Heartfelt crocheted rosaries
    • Heartfelt Retreat >
      • An Advent Retreat in Daily Life
      • Our daily medicine: a 28 day reflection on living and dying
      • Hidden in Plain View: a retreat in daily life
      • 24 hours: a retreat reflecting on the passion of Jesus
      • Stations of the light
    • Heartfelt waiting: reflections on the season of Advent >
      • Matron Saints of Un-named Women
      • Advent is a vessel
      • Advent is a pilgrimage
      • Advent remembers we are all related.
      • Advent is creative
      • Advent is a ritualised experience
      • Advent is expectant
      • Advent names God
      • Advent is a door
      • Advent: a sacred space
    • Stations of the Cross >
      • Christchurch Stations of the Cross
      • 24 Hours
      • Stations with haiku
      • John Badcock "Stations of the Cross"
    • Heartfelt Season: reflecting on the season of Lent >
      • A Lenten Walk
      • Lenten Prayer Flags
    • Heartfelt Hallelujah: reflections on the season of Easter >
      • Voices on the Via Lucis
    • Prayers from the Ark >
      • The Mouse
      • The Spider
      • The Dog
      • The Elephant
      • The Lizard
      • The Lamb
      • The Peacock
      • The Giraffe
      • The Toad
      • The Parrot
      • The Mother Hen
      • The Goldfish
      • The Cat
      • The Lion
    • Heartfelt Belief
    • Heartfelt Reflection >
      • These Parables Blow Me Apart!
      • A Single Thread
      • Every moment is gift
      • Harvest Wheat
      • Stepping out in faith
      • Harvest Heart
      • Dream catcher
      • The Sewing Basket
    • Sacred Story >
      • The Road to Emmaus
      • The Loaves and the Fishes
    • Listening To Winter
    • Genesis
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      • Joy on a String
      • Changing Landscapes
      • Rites of Passage
      • Sowing and Reaping
      • Hidden In Plain View
      • An Emmaus Journey
      • God and Dog
      • Dear Julie
      • An Intentional Walk
      • The Widow's Might
      • Does God Exist?
      • The Sewing Basket
      • Advent: A Sacred Space
      • A Secular Liturgy
      • Your Call
      • Dance me To The End Of Love
  • "100 day" projects
  • Prayer flag project
    • Blessings on the wind: a year of blessings >
      • April blessings
      • March blessings
      • February blessings
      • January blessings
      • December blessings
      • November blessings
      • October blessings
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      • April Blessings
      • March Blessings
    • Prayer flag blog
  • Gratitude Flowers

HEARTFELT DOLLS @ ARTSMAD, ROTORUA

I was invited to participate in ArtsMad, March, 2018.
This evening gives 8 speakers an opportunity
to speak about their art, their craft, their inspiration.
Each speaker has 20 slides
and 20 seconds to speak to each slide.
It was an honour and a privilege to speak to my peers about my passion for doll making.
Thank you to
Jill Walker for the invitation;
Debbie Rowles for ideas to speak to;
Julie Voss for her wonderful support;
Riley Claxton who filmed my talk;
Phil and Nigel who bought dolls;
and those gathered who listened so attentively.
Each of you ignited the creative spark!

Here is my talk and slides.

My love of tea and teapots.
Medical procedures.
Ladies in red hats.
Gender discrimination.
Green fur fabric lying on my floor.
Filming for TV.
Anything inspires me to create dolls.
Sometimes only one. Maybe a short series. Or an infinite one!



I tend to live in my head.
So when I was given an online poetry course,
I decided to make an intuitive doll each day to reflect my response.
I started with a calico bust and just let it flow from there.



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Few of the dolls I make have facial features.
Firstly it was because I don't draw or paint
but increasingly I let the posture, materials and context speak to the viewer.
I want them to engage and empathise by interacting with the work.
I got frustrated one day by people asking about faces,
so I created Soul Sisters.
Dolls with facial attitude!



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Inspiration comes from everywhere.
Helping Kay Mcgregor in the library one day I saw a book called 'Knit Yourself a Boyfriend'.
I was enchanted.
So I went home,
designed a male form
and created him both naked and clothed.
Friends for the journey!



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Fabric and ephemera often guide my hand.
I had a beautiful green print lying around,
several small stuffed birds from the Christmas tree,
and wood collected for me by my son.
I decided to create a series of figures focusing on nature and our interaction with bird life.
I experimented with using stilts for legs.
I like to honour the gifts I am given by others and incorporate them when I can.



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One of my doll making heroes is elinor peace bailey.
I was given some old patterns of hers by Heather McKechnie.
The one that most appealed was the Enraged Woman.
I so related to her story of seeing the shape of a dog on her linoleum which she just had to draft into a pattern!
And it was about an issue so dear to my heart –
women's rights and emancipation.



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Some of the series I make are finite.
The Smiles Project used a duvet cover I cut up after my husband left.
I cut out all the lips,
sewed and stuffed them,
and created dolls holding them,
sleeping on them,
cartwheeling around them,
celebrating the person I was now free to become!



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Seduced by the Wild was made in response to a group exhibition curated by The Arts Village.
Each figure was an intuitive response to a poem by Mary Oliver.
I chose green polar fleece because I love its softness.
I only made 4 figures because there was no more fabric.



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Most of my figures are a combination of machine and hand sewing.
The bodies are nearly always machine sewn
and then hand stitched into the position they desire.
But I often use hand embroidered items in my work.
English Country Garden continues the story of hand worked table linens crafted by my mother's generation.



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I like to honour the seasons of life: weather, age, liturgical.
For Advent last year,
I took 2 fabric remnants and created the Matron Saints,
honouring all the un-named women who enable and empower us.
One each day.
I limited the size and shape and used minimal embellishments.



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The Unemployment Blues was made in heartfelt response to losing my job
and struggling to find meaningful work as a mature person.
Lots of tears.
Lots of frustration.
But by the end my grief was assuaged and I could embrace this new path of my life.
I believe strongly in the healing and transformative power of the creative act.
Doll making is the one I choose.
I think because of the human form.



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I dialogue with my dolls as I am creating them.
They dwell in my heart space until they have their own form.
They help me understand feelings and emotions which overwhelm me.
When my youngest son left home,
I felt the 'Empty Nest' really strongly.
So I used the stuff he abandoned to create a series –
cables, airline blankets, jeans -
to process this change in my life.



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Starting age 50,
I have created a doll on my birthday to reflect back to me how I am feeling.
Must be started and finished on the day.
Some I cringe at now!



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I often set myself challenges to ignite the creative spark.
The Rainbow Connection I made just before my Artist in Residence at The Arts Village 2013/2014.
I made 15 dolls in each of the 7 colours of the rainbow.
I folded an A4 sheet of paper into 4,
drew a shape
and whipped up the doll in ½ hour give or take!
I set myself rules,
then find creative ways to break them!



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Diaspora came into being
because I had always wanted to participate in the 100 day project by Emma Rogan.
I was unable to register this year,
so did it on my own.
I used a tear-drop shape as a base,
added legs, arms and head maybe,
and created a story for the 102 characters who emerged.
They are the Brennan family and their descendants.
Brennan means tear-drop.



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And this is my Selfie coat.
Miniature representations of me!



Occasionally I make a doll on commission.
Dolls to remember someone who has died.
Dolls to celebrate a significant birthday or event.
I use a biography or photo or items of clothing as starting points.



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I like to use my gifts to enable and empower others.
So I created the Fire Fighters to raise funds for the Ngongotaha Fire Brigade where my son volunteers.
I also created 50 (or more) Shades of Grey to raise awareness and funds for cancer support.



I am Liz Pearce.
I am a doll maker.
The meditative, contemplative process brings me
wholeness, wellness and a sense of belonging.
And I love it!



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