With most big elaborate photo set-ups, I try to take plenty of individual or small group close-ups, but with such a lot of dolls, most of whom were facing away from me, it was impossible to get some of them. But I did manage to get many....
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An old Wizard seated in the woods, telling Fairytales to a gathering of Fairytale characters...     There's a painting by James Christensen, which I love, called 'Once Upon a Time', and features a scene deep in some forest, with a wizard telling fairytales to a whole crowd of fairytale characters gathered around him to listen....  I wanted to try something like that with my dolls. It really needed a forest setting, but there was no way I'd want to take that many dolls to set up in the woods, only to have to lie on the ground to take pictures, and get eaten alive in the process. So It would have to be in my backyard. I practiced setting up a scene with my dolls inside first, so I'd have a rough idea of who would fit. The two big Fantasy art characters I had wanted to include, wouldn't fit, so they went back in the display case. Then I took a photo and printed it out so I'd remember roughly who to put where.  I set up a scene on the patio table, with some huge roots supported in the back in large pots, and several hanging baskets with small flowers all around, supported on overturned pails. I used logs and driftwood for seating, and covered the ground with wood chips from our old ash tree out front. It had been cut down last November, and the city finally came to grind out the stump earlier in the week. With everything in place, I just had to wait for the sun to get behind the neighbour's house so the patio would be mostly in the shade. Then it was time to position all the dolls.....  Rembrandt just kept on painting....and the girls were getting impatient....  "Can you take a short break dear? The girls have brought your favourite cake....Dutch chocolate."  "Just a few more minutes...."  Saskia suggested they could start serving the cake....while she continued to hold her pose....  Byuri cut some very generous sized slices....  But the Master just kept on painting....  Chloe got a big piece....  ...and emptied the chair so she could sit down...  Nami went and put on one of Rembrandt's big 'prop' hats, and got herself a slice too....  Saskia's mouth was watering as she watched the girls dig into the cake. ....  "I really want some of that cake.."  "Just a few more minutes....please stop moving so much!"  But I don't think a few more minutes will get him as far as he thinks he's going to. He's been working on that painting for the last 20 years, so I doubt it will get finished any time soon. He might as well go over and have some cake. And open those gifts.
Today is the birthday of the Netherland's most famous artist, Rembrandt, and I've been wanting to take some pictures to commemorate it for 5 years now. Ever since I did the 'Special Days' series back in 2013. So, today was the day. Rembrandt's wife, Saskia, had arranged a surprise party with three of her little friends. They would come over while she was posing for her husband's latest portrait...  When the girls arrived, Rembrandt was still absorbed in his painting...  He was determined to take advantage of the lighting...  The girls patiently waited, and watched him paint....  I've been wanting to try take my version of a certain James Christensen painting for a while now, and finally got it all together the other day, before this new heat wave set in. It really needed a forest setting, but there was no way I was going to haul more than 20 dolls and all the props out into the woods, where I'd have to lie on the ground, and get eaten by mosquitos. So the back patio table just had to do. At one point I had to go inside to get my other lens, leaving Jan out there holding the umbrella to keep the sun off the dolls, and I remembered to take a photo.....  Was at the mall, so had to stop in at Mastermind Toys, and what did they have there, but two new 'World's Smallest' toys - an actual working tiny Lite Brite, and a Lincoln Logs set. Well, Jan still had credit owing from a return back around Christmas, so he got me both....  Looks like some of my kids are going to be having some fun soon....
Some photos of my Kaye Wiggs girls in the new outfits I just put up for sale. The dresses have beaded collars and sleeve cuffs, a sewn-in tulle petticoat, and come with an assortment of hair ribbons..      The final, 10th prompt in the photo contest, was to take a photo of our smallest doll wearing the biggest wig. I thought that the smallest doll would be lost wearing such a huge wig, and you'd never even see it under there. But got an idea....   The 9th challenge of the photo contest was to depict 'a rescue or happily ever after'. My first thought was to have a Prince on his horse, having just rescued a fair maiden. I chose Prince Adrian. He's a Limhwa Mono and doesn't get out much. His girlfriend is Kassia, but with her huge white dress there wasn't much chance I'd be able to fit her on a horse with him. Plus, she's the type of personality that wouldn't need rescuing in the first place. So, who else to choose? My Limhwa Lily was wearing a nice, slim, Fantasy dress, and she poses well, so she became the candidate needing rescue. I practiced posing the two of them on their horse at home, then packed them in the car and we headed down to the trail through the woods down by the lake....   It was really hot, and I was having camera issues, as well as being eaten alive by the bugs. But I was very happy with the few shots that I took...   |
AuthorMartha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes. Archives
July 2021
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