Something I have been wondering . . .

Introducing: Transitions

So, I have been working for some time (all year in fact) on a new project, a really big project, which I will be sharing bit by bit over the next couple of weeks.

(Sneak peak!)


It is something that I am very excited about because it is a project that I have designed from the ground up. So much of my work has been mediated through the Waldorf aesthetic because it is something that I have found (and continue to find) truly beautiful, and because I have been thoroughly investigating the philosophical foundations behind it. But I have found myself needing to move on from that world of strictly natural materials and minimalistic features.

Where I find my self now is by no means an end point, and that is what makes this project so exciting! But, for this evening, I am only sharing a piece that has become for me a sort of symbol of the transition between what I have been doing and what I hope to continue doing.

Round about the time I began working on this new project I also picked up a series of books for the second time, and found myself laughing out loud and weeping in sympathy. Even though there are 13 books, they are a quick read and, I think, worth every minute. These books constitute

by Lemony Snicket.

This series follows the unfortunate travels of the three Baudelaire siblings, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, as they attempt to find a home to call their own after their parents perish in a terrible house fire.

{If you have not read these books yet, I highly recommend that you do. (And no one is paying me to say that.) But I must pass along a warning from the author, "If you have picked up this book with the hope of finding a simple and cheery tale, I am afraid you have picked up the wrong book altogether."}

I was inspired both by the macabre quirkiness of the narrative, and the Victorian austerity of the illustrations by Brett Helquist, to attempt my own rendition of the characters. I took as my reference points the following cover illustrations:














And thus, I can proudly(!) introduce Klaus Baudelaire:








He is made like a traditional Waldorf doll, but he has a bit more structure in in the face and shaping to his body. And, of course, his features were directly inspired by Mr. Helquist's illustration. This was my first attempt at structured clothing, a suit no less! I am very pleased with how the coat came out, and the collar on the shirt is entirely adequate to its task.

I had intended to complete both a Violet and a Sunny doll as well, but I have moved on to other things for the moment. You never know though, maybe on my next read through I will be inspired again!

Side Tracked (for a good cause).

I was reminded yesterday that it was a friend's birthday, so I dropped everything else to finish a present I started almost a year ago in anticipation of this anniversary.

Presenting:
Saint Anne, The Mother of Mary, The Mother of God,
and Mary, The Mother of God herself (as a child):