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The Making of 'Once Upon a Time'.....

7/17/2018

2 Comments

 
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....
Picture
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.
Picture
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.....
Picture
2 Comments
Dorothy
7/17/2018 04:14:58 pm

Thanks for showing us how you created the magic.

Reply
Donna
7/17/2018 07:16:07 pm

It's interesting to see the painting that inspired your photo, and how you developed the setting.

I like your recreation even more than the original. It has a softer, gentler quality about it.

Reply



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    Author

    Martha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes.
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