Another Fabulous Honor!

I have some more wonderful news to share.  I've been published in ANOTHER magazine!  YAY!!

I subscribe to Art Doll Quarterly, and have for a couple of years.  I'm always inspired by the creative work of the amazing doll artists they feature.  I've pondered submitting some work of my own, but never took the leap UNTIL this past summer.  In each issue they put forth a 'reader challenge' in which they suggest a topic and ask readers to submit dolls for that category.  The last challenge was calling for dolls inspired by book characters.  Well.  I could do that.  I had the perfect dolls in mind to submit....my Wizard of Oz characters!  So off they went.

Dorothy (with Toto in her basket), Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion followed the Yellow Brick Road to California.  And then I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  The dolls were sent in June.  I hadn't heard anything, but knew they had arrived.  No rejections though, so I was optimistic.

 

Then, a couple weeks ago my winter issue arrived.  I had it in my head that the Book Character challenge selections would be published in the spring issue (I'm not sure why), so I wasn't expecting what I found.  I was flipping absently through the pages, and suddenly was seeing dolls with names like Hester Pryne, Pinocchio, The Princess and the Pea, Pippi Longstocking.  It took a few seconds for it to register in my weary brain (I had just arrived home after a 5 hour drive) that these were, in fact, book characters.  Just as it hit me, I turned a page and saw this:

 

 

There they were!  In the pages of Art Doll Quarterly magazine!  MY Wizard of Oz dolls!  OMG!!  It was rather exciting!  I showed husband David and he snatched it out of my hands to have a look.  Yep.  MY dolls!  YAY!! 

 

 

I was a little bit surprised that I wasn't notified ahead of time, but hey, WHO CARES!!  It was thrilling to see my work on the pages of such a wonderful publication, in the company of so many talented artists.  My one disappointment is that the tip of Tinman's funnel hat is askew.  Something must have happened in transit, but he still looks great.  I'm so pleased!

 

If you are out looking for the magazine, here is what to look for:

 

 

It really is a beautiful publication.  I'm so honored to have had my work chosen for this challenge.  I think I won't be so hesitant in the future to submit more of my work.

 

Thanks for letting me share my excitement with you all! 

 

"We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!"

Lisa

 

Oh, yes, my Wizard of Oz characters are available in my etsy shop.  









The Witches of Oz

In a previous post, I told you how my Wizard of Oz figurine came to being.  I was thrilled last week when someone purchased one from my etsy shop.  I received a message from her asking if I made Glinda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch to go with it.  I had never even really thought about that before, but hey, why not?  So I told her I would be happy to make them for her.  I think they turned out really well.  I especially love Glinda.

I'm always open to suggestions about new pieces to make.  While I have hundreds of ideas rolling around in my head, someone can still come up with something I hadn't thought of before. 

These pieces will soon be available to everyone in my etsy shop.   I think the Wicked Witch would also be great for Halloween, don't you?

Thanks for following me back to Oz!

Lisa

Off to See the Wizard

I started making miniature figurines in 1990.  I've made HUNDREDS of figurines.  I've covered all sorts of themes from professions and sports figurines, hobbies like quilting and fishing, angels of all sorts, and pieces for every major holiday.  You name it, I've likely made it.  But some pieces stick out to me as my favorites, and this is definitely one of them. 

Everyone has seen the movie, of course.  Lots of people have read the book.  And even if you haven't, you can certainly pick the characters out of a line-up. They are quite possibly the most iconic fictional characters there are.  And they are a source of inspiration for a lot of artists, me included. 

I first made this particular figurine as a birthday gift for a very good college friend.  Her whole family loved the movie and each year they would make a big celebration out of watching it together on TV. (This was back in the day before video and DVDs and it was only on TV once a year.) They never missed it, and they sometimes watched dressed as their favorite character. She was thrilled with the gift, and I knew there were others out there that loved the movie as much as she did.  So I decided to add this piece to my collection. 

Off to See the Wizard is available in my etsy shop.

Making Off to See the Wizard is very labor intensive, so it has never been my hottest selling item, because the price prohibited that. But it is what I consider to be one of my 'show stoppers'....a piece that attracts a lot of attention and comments.  And having people appreciate your labors of love is about as good as it gets.  It was actually a bittersweet moment the time I first sold one.  I was THRILLED that someone loved it and wanted it and was willing to pay for it, but I had worked so hard on that figurine and loved it so much I almost hated to see it go!  (I tend to have attachment issues with some of my work....something I've had to overcome.)

I've made many of these figurines over the years, but it still continues to be one of my favorites, and it still attracts many admirers.  And I'm always happy when someone wants to take it home.

 

Do you love the Wizard of Oz?  Who is your favorite of the four main characters?  Or do you prefer one of the others?  Glinda the Good Witch?  The Wicked Witch?  Did the Flying Monkeys scare you to pieces like they did me?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

"There's no place like home....."
Lisa