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"Art, Like Cookies for the Soul" ~ Nancy Lee |
Liesel
Painted October 2009
New Web Page 10/30/09
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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
Charlotte by Helen Kish
Transformed into a Unique Doll |
Liesel was adopted by Janet in November 2009.
Liesel would be a wonderful friend to Bleuette. Liesel and Bleuette can even share clothing.
Liesel is my fourth painted interpretation of this 1997 sculpt #974TC by Helen Kish. As a mother, I am fond of this sculpt, fond of the toddler (preschool) age it represents. Sturdy legs, full cheeks, serious expression ~ children are often serious. On each of the dolls, the stringing has been a little bit tight, so that her chin often lowers on its own, making her look even more serious! To add liveliness to Liesel, I added more sparkle to her teal-gray eyes and made thoughtful choices about the design of her eyebrows.
Here are links to the web pages of my other repaintings of this sculpt. Two of the dolls, like Liesel, have new wigs and clothing.
Here is link to Mischa's page, a doll recreated as a character from a movie.
Here is link to Bess's page. Bess models dresses for Hankie Couture!
Here is link to Abby's page, Goldilocks with her beloved baby bear.
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Charlotte from the Famous Painters Series by Kish,
Plus notes about Artist Mary Cassatt |
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Liesel was originally a 12-inch (30 cm) Charlotte doll from the Kish 1997 Famous Painters series. Charlotte and her original clothing were inspired by the 1884 oil painting "Children Playing on the Beach" by Mary Cassatt, my favorite pastel artist (1844-1926). "Children Playing on the Beach" hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. (USA).
In the art, Cassatt showed natural movements of children. The main child, with legs sprawled out for balance and a shovel gripped in a little fist, remains unaware of the viewer's gaze. Helen Kish, whose dolls seem natural in the sculpting, seemed like just the artist to reveal Cassatt's beach child in the form of a doll.
I have seven biographies about Cassatt in my studio library. An American by birth, she often resided in France, where she became a friend of Edgar Degas and exhibited with the Impressionists, for the first time in 1879. At that time, Impressionism, a style which has since become beloved, was often denounced by critics as "infantile daubing" of bright colors. Cassatt's figures were then considered to be too realistic, meaning unsentimental and not flattering enough! As a portrait artist of many years, I have empathy for her dilemma. Though she often painted themes of mother and child with great tenderness, she remained unmarried and childless. During the 1890s, as Cassatt became more mellow and diplomatic in her opinions, she became a motherly mentor for young artists who sought her advice.
For the interested reader, here are more notes about Miss Mary Cassatt . . .
As a youth during the American Civil War (1861-1865), Cassatt studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In 1866, she moved to Paris to study art, with her mother and family friends acting as chaperones. For practice, she often copied art in the Louvre museum. In 1870, as the Franco-Prussian War began, Cassatt returned to the United States for one year.
Like most artists (including myself), she had times of discouragement. Some early paintings had admirers, but no purchasers. When she spent time in Chicago, some paintings burned in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. She returned to Europe in late 1871 on a commission from the Archbishop of Pittsburgh USA, to create copies of paintings by Correggio in Italy, marking an upturn in her art hopes.
Unlike most artists, Cassatt was born into affluence and had independent wealth bestowed by family. She painted with great dedication, but without financial need. Her father, who had disapproved of her choice of vocation, insisted only that her studio and supplies be covered by her sales, which were meager as late as 1879. As her sales gradually improved, she began to use profits to purchase works by fellow Impressionists like Degas and Monet.
In 1904 France awarded Cassatt its Legion d'honneur. Back in America, she remained less known and was usually overshadowed by her famous brother, Alexander Cassatt, who was president of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1899 until his death in 1906. Mary herself passed away in 1926 near Paris, at the age of eighty-two.
Sources: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Cassatt) and my own art books.
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Her original Kish clothing . . .
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Under the smock is a navy dress.
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Style = Margaret (Antique Style with silk bows)
Color = Walnut Brown
Wendy's favorite medium brown and a favorite of her customers, it has no red cast.
Value = $48.00 (2009 price)
Size = Liesel wears a size 6.75-inch wig.
Feidt makes wefts and applies them on a handsewn cotton cap.
This wig is made from English Mohair, which Wendy washes and dyes herself in Wisconsin USA.
Wigs have been her full time business since 1977.
~ Nancy Lee 10/26/09
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New Handmade Wig
Wendy Feidt's Website
I hope you will visit Wendy's website to see more of her beautiful wigs and pretty handmade doll accessories.
Here is link to: www.mohairdollwigsbywendyfeidt.com
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Liesel's creation began when I purchased a darling dress, coat and hat that had once belonged to a Kish Katya doll (Katya represented an ice skater from long ago times). The exquisite outfit was made by Boneka in size 30 (cm). It fits 12-inch Bethany and Bleuette, also. Its colors inspired the colors of Liesel's eyes and wig. Made of sturdy, yet soft, cotton, the coat and bonnet are fully lined with burgundy and are hand-embroidered. The burgundy dress is long sleeved.
About Boneka:
Katya's clothing was created by Boneka Doll Fashions, a company created by Rosemarie Ionker and her daughter, Claudia. After Helen Kish met the Ionkers in Europe in 1995, Kish helped introduce Boneka fashions to North America. Rosemarie has written three books about sewing for dolls. Her book, Fashions for Small Dolls, is a treasured part of my own art-studio collection. A German designer who lived for many years in Asia and Indonesia, Rosemarie trained many seamstresses there, who continue to make beautiful Boneka clothing for dolls and children.
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About this doll . . .
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Liesel will never be duplicated in my studio. In Hebrew The meaning of the name Liesel is: Variant of Elisabeth: From Elisheba, meaning oath of God or God is bountiful.
Liesel is my interpretation of 1997 (RETIRED) Charlotte. Helen Kish used the same sculpt for other dolls like Alicia, Deirdre, Flora, Goldilocks, Margarete, Mia ballerina, and Starlight (See “Marks” below).
ORIGINAL KISH CLOTHING for CHARLOTTE is in excellent condition. All elastic is snug. Her navy dress has puff sleeves and a border of white lace on the skirt. It is covered by a darling white frock with wide lace at the hem. Both dresses have close in back with three snaps. The outfit includes white cotton knickers, tan socks and brown boots.
If you have other Kish dolls, Liesel may become a friend to Kish Bethany or other 11-12” dolls, as well as a little sister to Kish Jo. Liesel has with her original box, all her original clothing, my own photo-certificate, and most of the photos shown here.
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 will have finer detail and more subtle coloring than a computer-jpeg-photo shows.
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.
Variations of the cheek color are on the nose and chin, at the skin-corners of the lips, at inner corners of the eyes, along the inner edge of eyelids, in the nostrils, on the inner fingertips, inside the ears and on earlobes.
I painted the lips gently, using a wet-into-wet technique of varied colors to suggest natural childhood rosiness.
None of my oil pigments use lead or cadmium. Though I painted this doll for adult collectors, I wanted the paint to be safe around toddlers and babies.
VINYL BODY She has five (5) points of articulation (joints), at her neck, shoulders, and hips. She can stand by herself. She can sit, too.
BOX, Certificate, Doll Company:
She has her certificate and box. 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. Charlotte was designed by Helen Kish, produced in 1997 by Kish & Company, and is RETIRED.
KISH MARKS: There is an impressed mark on the back of her head near the neck: 1997 Kish and Company 97F. Base of skull also has an impressed mark of: 974TC = same as on Kish Goldilocks doll and others mentioned above. I signed my name there, too. The torso, each arm and leg have the following mark: Kish & Co. 1997
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The artisan painting creates a lovely doll to the specifications of Helen Kish. 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.
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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