A Feis (pronounced fesh) or Feile, meaning festival, is a competition and a public performance of Irish dances, which 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 colors 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.

Milly and Cadence have been best friends since early school days. Milly has been anticipating Cadence's performance. The September day has been balmy, warm enough for Milly to wear her summer dress, the one her mother sewed in May. Its tiny teal flowers remind her of a meadow and of playful summer days. The cotton is soft on her skin, even the petticoat is comfy, made of vintage fabric that brushes her legs gently. Milly protests against wearing any fabric that is stiff or coarse, any that makes her itch. She is feeling grown up today, since her mum let her wear eye shadow for the event, powder blue to enhance her amber-toffee eyes. Her hair braids, the hues of a sandy dune, are accented with teal and golden beads.

Cadence's mum is almost ready to roll up her daughter's hair in the dreaded heated wands, to make ringlets.

"Poor you," Mum says. "Now remember," Mum adds, "Stand up until you dance. It took lots of work to press your dress! Sitting makes wrinkles." Cadence sighs.

"Where is my friend Molly?" Cadence asks suddenly. "Have you seen her? She is going to dance the two-hand with me, after the Solo competitions. Will you find her for me?" In two-hand dances, two girls link arms and dance the same steps.

PHOTOS: Nancy Lee took all photos in natural daylight coming in her studio window.

Philomena (the Irish singer) was my first time to repaint Ellowyne Wilde.
Ellowyne Wilde ~ I Wait Alone ~ by Robert Tonner has 12-points of articulation. A 16-inch (40 cm) fashion doll made of vinyl and hard plastic, Ellowyne has rooted saran hair. She had her doll debut in 2006, a large head on a teen body. She is known for her poetry and her somber moods, a fusion of anime and Goth influences. One of her poems reflects her angst: My eyes are lustrous, large and deep. Chopin always makes me weep.
Nancy's Note: The Random House Dictionary 2009 defines anime as: a Japanese style of motion-picture animation, one with highly stylized art, futuristic settings, and adult themes.

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 a computer-jpeg-photo can show.

I am using artist-grade alkyd-oil paints (in thin translucent glazes) with the addition of alkyd resin to make the paint surface become as flexible as the doll’s vinyl skin and to make it adhere well. I finely sand (Q-tip and finest pumice) the surface before painting it for better adhesion.

KISH MARKS: There is an impressed mark on the back of her head near the neck: 1997 Kish and Company 97F, which shows when Helen Kish first created the head sculpt. I signed my name there, too.