I have a love hate relationship with my artwork. Do you ever feel that way? Sometimes halfway through a piece it changes it's mind and decides it wants to be something else, completely different!
Such was the situation with these dolls. I had every intention of turning them into respectable, well mannered reproductions, to look just like their antique counterparts. Well, all the best laid plans of mice and men, or however that old saying goes...
I had barely gotten the beautiful sea green glass eyes in Anna's head when I heard...
She: hu hem, Empress Anna that is and I, I should like to go, go somewhere over, over the fabled rainbow!
Me: Oh, no you don't! You just keep quiet!
I have perfect plans for you! A doll you shall be, and a fully jointed compo body already awaits you! And, and, I have purchased from my favorite doll dress maker a frock so similar to the one your antique sisters wore, with pretty little pleats and buttons and more!
She: No, no! Not for me!
You see, I am different and special you see! All those years I have waited, in that old cold mold, just wanting and wishing and hoping you see, to be poured and fired and painted and my dream, yes my dream was to be completely transformed into well, dare I say it? Say it I dare, a work of art, lovely art for all to then share! Not just a quiet, old boring, old doll!
Me: But, but you see that small doll lying over there? The one with the bright yellow blonde hair, I was going to turn her into a little dolly just for you! Now wouldn't that be nice?!
She: I want her I do, but I want her to be my very own humming birdie!
Me: Humming bird?! Humming bird, you say?
She: Oh yes! And remember that metal bird cage, the one with the dome, the one that you keep outside in the sun?! I want it for mine, I want it for "me"! That is where my little humming birdie shall be!
Me: Well, I guess we could do that?! I guess there's no harm!
She: Oh yes, and remember that wonderful, ruffled edge, blue and white pin striped (my how she does carry on) corset cover I saw you bring home one day?! It's mine! I love it and know it will perfectly fit! Yes, just rightly!
And remember those ever so long, long legs, the ones that buckle and bend at the knee, and wear the ever so shiny black patent leather boots?
I, the Empress Anna would like those too!
Me: Well, I'm starting to get the picture, I can see, I can see how they would be perfect for you, I do, I do!
And I'm thinking you will need a fancy headdress as well, come to think of it I do have the most luminous, lustrous freshwater pearls I've been saving for just the right thing!
Oh yes, lest I forget a delicate, dangling pair of sapphire ear fobs, they will look just right with the blue and white pin stripe!
Me: Ok, ok I agree, you shall, you shall be Empress Anna to me!
She: hu hem,well done! And now what about, what about my little humming birdie?!
Can she be, will she be a sweet little birdie all just for me?
In ruffles and lace and ribbons and bows?!
From the top of her head to the tips of her toes?!
She: To stay,
and to play,
and to swing all day long and maybe if she wishes,
sing a buzzy humming bird song?
She: Do they sing? Well, maybe not, and I really don't care,
I just want to see her wisp wings flutter on air!
And if she chooses, I'll set her free, with hopes that someday she'll come back to me!
Me: Well, I think, I think thats just lovely, I think thats just fine.
You're a sweet honest Empress and soon to be mine!
