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"Art, Like Cookies for the Soul" ~ Nancy Lee |
Brianna at an Irish Feis
Five Dolls (plus Lexie!)
March 2010
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Only for happiness, repainted dolls . . . a new kind of "canvas"
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Where to find Nancy Lee's dolls . . . 402.274.3040 phone or nancylee@nancyleemoran.com
~ Brianna's Radiant Feis Dancing Dress ~
A Feis is an event of Irish dances and crafts.
Six Dollies, web page created ~ March 8, 2010
All photos were taken in natural window light by Nancy Lee Moran.
Text, photos, backgrounds and website design copyrighted by Nancy Lee Moran |
The Cast of Characters Here |
Sheila
16" (40 cm) Tonner Cinderella doll
Special Edition for Cherished Friends
as repainted by Nancy Lee Moran
COMMISSION
Dress by Hankie Couture
Link to HANKIE COUTURE
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Song Xin Nuo
Click photo to see another Song repainted doll.
14" (36 cm) Kish Urban Song doll
as repainted by Nancy Lee Moran
COMMISSION
Faith Wig by Monique
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Brianna
16" (40 cm) Kish Tia doll
LE 750 made in 1997
as repainted by Nancy Lee Moran
Dress by Hankie Couture
Wig by Monique
Link to HANKIE COUTURE
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Jenny
11" (28 cm) Kish Bitty Brynne
As repainted by Nancy Lee Moran
Adopted to New York 2010
Wig by Monique
Lady Kish Whimsies clothing
Tangerine Froth
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Emma
10.5" (26 cm) vinyl doll by Helen Kish
Lynne ballerina LE 500, made in 1996
As repainted by Nancy Lee Moran
My 1st time to paint this size of Kish doll
Adopted to Florida in 2011
Lady Kish clothing (probably a collaboration with Boneka) |
"What about me? Wait, Miss Nancy, you forgot me!"
Uh oh! Sorry, Sweetie. Here is LEXIE.
Tonner Cinderella doll as Sheila, with Lexie, is a commissioned repaint by Nancy Lee Moran in 2010.
COZY LEXIE
8" (19 cm) Porcelain doll by Heather Maciak
"Cozy Lexie" edition size 101 in 2008
Painted by Heather Maciak
Boneka clothes designed by Rosemarie Ionker
Lexie is in Nancy's own collection.
Link to Heather Maciak Jenny & Lexie dolls
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Brianna has a new solo dress, a Celtic pattern in her favorite colors of teal blue and violet.
A Feis (pronounced fesh) or Feile, meaning festival, is a competition and a public performance of Irish dances, one that often includes Irish crafts and traditional foods like soda bread. When a dancer becomes "advanced," a solo dress is designed for her, one dress that accents her own family heritage and includes Celtic symbols. Celtic knots appear in a book that is regarded as Ireland's national treasure. The Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript in vibrant colours, was created by Celtic monks in about 800, 1200 years ago. In it, intricate designs interlace with the Latin text of the Christian gospels. Long kept at the Abbey of Kells, it was moved to Dublin for safekeeping in 1654.
As you may remember, Irish stepdance became famous after 1994 because of the touring shows Riverdance and again later by Lord of the Dance. Michael Ryan Flatley, an Irish American born in 1958, created the latter show. The solo stepdance usually has straight arms, and quick, precise movements of the feet. Girls dance in hard shoes or in soft shoes, called ghillies (gillies), which resemble black ballet shoes.
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At the dance competition, Brianna needs a friend to comfort and encourage her. Song Xin Nuo, as the helper, keeps a dance bag of safety pins, needle and thread, pencil, notebook, and dance shoes. Next month, Brianna is going to become the helper, when Song Xin Nuo has a program of Chinese dances.
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Her dress is as radiant as peacock plumes. Solo dresses can be all colors of the rainbow, though each dress has Celtic symbols on it, often in appliques and embroidery. On Brianna's dress, the Celtic symbols are cut from new (100% cotton) fabric that I ordered from Cleeve Cottage in Somerset England. I sent the fabric to Hankie Couture, so designer Marsha could work her magic with it. It is Marsha's own design, having gold braid and closing with invisible snaps. I appreciate the many hours that my friend Marsha spent on creating this unique dress, a limited edition of only one.
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Earrings on gold wire, made by All Things Elegant
Teal glass lantern-shaped beads
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Before the performance, Brianna's mother rolls up her daughter's hair in heated wands to make the traditional style of ringlets. Ringlet beauty takes patience and lots of work!
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"Look. Brianna has a new dress."
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"Wow," said Jenny.
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"Perfection," added Song Xin Nuo.
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You may enjoy visiting the website of author Brenna Briggs. She writes mystery books for young people about 13-year-old Irish dancer Liffey Rivers. What fun for the girls in your life! Since 2008, her short stories have also appeared in Irish Dancing and Culture Magazine.
Here is a link to: www.liffeyrivers.com
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Repainted Doll
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1996 Artisan Paint
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Repainted Doll
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Clothing
What a blessing to find a treasure for her clothing, a new-in-package Lady Kish outfit in pale blue, copyrighted in 2001. The dress and bonnet are of cotton so light (may be organdy) that feels as if it may float away and is soft as a butterfly wing. It may have been a collaboration with Rosemarie Ionker of Boneka. I found some pale blue shoes to match. Her dress is an artwork in itself. How I admire its creator! The skirt has four rows of pintucking above delicate lace, with embroidered flowers and leaves above the pintucks, completely circling the skirt, for a width of about 16 inches. The cap has four rows of pintucking, lace and a shell-pink ribbon interwoven (inserted) between white embroidery. Lace and inserted ribbon encircle the legs of the onesie. The back closes with three loops & buttons, which are easy to fasten. So delicate, so beautiful, yet so sturdy too. Exceptional quality.
Doll
Lynne (misspelling of Lynee) had been played with, so needed some tender loving care. She has her box (excellent condition), COA, and complete ballerina outfit including shoes and headband. I carefully washed her ballet clothes.
Lynne the ballerina was created in 1996 in an edition of 500. She has exquisite hands. When I study her hand-sculpting, I am amazed (once again) at the artistry of Helen Kish. She can stand all by herself, has excellent stringing, and now has teal-gray eyes.
MARKS: HK (engraved) is on each arm and leg, also on torso.
On the base of her skull is (engraved): Kish & Company, © 1993 helen kish
On her lower back in ink and on her COA: #460/500
Lynne is the spelling on the COA and in the KISH book. The box has the spelling as Lynee.
Wig
She has a Margaret (style) wig with two pale-peach silk hand-tied bows, wig size 5.5 inches, in the English mohair hand-dyed color named Baby Blonde. Wendy Feidt of Wisconsin created the new wig. Wendy writes as follows on her website: English mohair is a fine mohair from young angora goats. It remains lovely when it is not overly handled. Wigs have been her full time business since 1977.
You may enjoy visiting Wendy's website to see more of her wigs and pretty handmade doll accessories.
Here is link to: www.mohairdollwigsbywendyfeidt.com
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Transformation of Brianna |
Repainted Doll, new mohair wig
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Factory Artisan Paint
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Painting
In acrylic paint, Brianna has light freckles, body blushing, pedicure and manicure. Her eyes have an Impressionistic mixture of teal-blue and violet-gray, plus many flecks of gold.
Doll
She has her box (good condition), COA, and complete ballerina outfit including shoes.
Tia the ballerina was created in 1997 in an edition of 750. She has graceful hands, so well sculpted. She can stand all by herself and has excellent stringing.
MARKS: To my surprise, I discovered that Tia's sculpt is marked the same as the one used for the 2003 Seasons dolls, and looks just the same too.
On the base of her skull is (engraved): 1997 Kish & Company (copyright symbol) 97F
On her lower back in ink and on her COA: #81/750
Wig
She has two NEW wigs, which are easily interchangeable. One is natural, soft mohair named Lilly, which is new (I removed the tag for photos). The Bernadette ringlet wig for her dance competition is also new, synthetic mohair by Monique in carrot red. She has her light-brown original wig and ballet clothing, which I carefully cleaned. I gave her some brand new undies.
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Transformation of Song Xin Nuo |
Repainted Doll
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Factory Artisan Paint
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Repainted, New Wig
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The creator of Song's clothing is Betty (eBay name: beautilfulgrace ~ note there is an extra "l" in the name).
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Transformation of Tonner Cinderella Sculpt |
Repainted Doll Sheila
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Factory Artisan Paint
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Five Repainted Dolls, March 2010
The artisan painting creates a lovely doll to the specifications of Helen Kish and Robert Tonner. In my painting, I aim only for less doll-like and more life-like, to see how much illusion of life I can achieve. Some painting work I do is of such delicacy, in transparent layers, with such time involved, that it would probably be cost-prohibitive to do it within a doll factory setting.
PHOTOS: Nancy Lee took all photos in natural daylight coming in her studio window.
JOINTS: Kish Tia, Lynne Ballerina and Bitty Brynne dolls have five joints in a strung vinyl body.
COLOR & PAINTING: Some computer screens may modify the color of the art. Some may make the image lighter or darker than it is. The doll has finer detail and more subtle coloring than computer-jpeg-photos can show.
BOX, Certificate, Doll Company:
I hope you won't store your dolls in the original cardboard boxes. Cardboard is an inexpensive paper product that is acidic. If you do store your dolls in original boxes, wrap each doll first in a clean white cotton pillowcase to protect it.
PAINTING
On these five dolls I used artist acrylic paint, plus resin-oil glow (gloss) on eyes and satin gloss on lips.
A thin veil of clear matte (non-shiny) acrylic varnish is on rest of her face.
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My Feis story is a work of fiction, copyrighted by Nancy Lee Moran in March 2010. The characters and incidents are created from my imagination, after doing some research. Some insights came from my five years of helping with dance lessons in my town. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental. ~ Nancy Lee Moran
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Nancy Lee Moran's POLICY TO SHOW RESPECT for HELEN KISH & other doll creators is as follows:
The dolls I use were factory painted. I would never repaint a doll that the artist (Helen Kish) had painted herself, such as some of those in the Kish Signature Line. I would not paint one in a limited edition of fewer than 300 (preferably 500 or more). I consult the beautiful book I own: Helen Kish: The Artist and Her Dolls by Louise Fecher (hardcover published in 2006). I am NOT affiliated with any doll company, creator or manufacturer.
Please send your questions and requests to Nancy at: nancylee@nancyleemoran.com
or by phone: 402-274-3040 Central Time
All rights reserved. All art and photos on the site are protected by copyright © law.
Each may only be reproduced with written permission of the artist. Site page design copyrighted © by Nancy Lee Moran.
Thank you for visiting Nancy Lee Moran's website!
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