To me, the Seasons sculpt seems endearing, compassionate and caring. 16" Seasons has a gentle, kind face with such large eyes, ones that paint can make luminous.
Her eyes are soft lavender gray, less blue than photo seems to show. Here Sophia is shown wearing another mohair wig.
Dress Detail
Adopted 5/10/09
Here Linnea is shown with her studio friend Colette.
dress by Hankie Couture
Spring Seasons as "Linnea"
About this doll . . .
Linnea (formerly named Sophia) will never be duplicated in my studio.
Her coloring is delicate and youthful; her expression, gentle and kind. I began with her new dress. To harmonize with it, I purchased a Monique Gold Collection wig of silky waves and delicate coloring. As soft as a baby’s hair, it is easy to comb. In a few photos, the bright parts of the wig look almost white. But no, instead the color is golden buttercream.
In her hair, I made a braid and sewed ivory-silk flowers into it. The long lavender hair ribbons match one of the flowers on her dress. The same lavender is mixed with blue in her fair eyes, which are framed with long fine lashes. Pink accents the seed-bead bracelet I made for her.
If you have other Kish dolls, Linnea may become a big sister to Kish Bethany or other 11-12” dolls, as well as a friend to Kish Jo.
She has her original box, all her original clothing, her custom-made dress, Kish certificate and my own photo-certificate.
NEW WIG: Her wig is from the Monique Gold Collection. Named GINGER, the wig is a delicate color named Light~Peach~Blonde~Ginger~Brown, which is a combination of blond colors. It is synthetic mohair. Seasons wears size 7/8.
NEW CLOTHING + Original clothes: I like to keep dolls together with their original clothing.
Her NEW Custom CLOTHING
Marsha of Hankie Couture has designed and sewn unique clothing for each of my repainted dolls. It has been a joy to collaborate with dress designer Marsha. More of Marsha's original creations can be found on eBay under the seller name hankiecouture. I purchased new ivory shoes with silk bows for her.
Here is Marsha's own description of her custom dress:
This TONE ON TONE Crochet Vintage Dress features a full and lovely intricate crochet skirt.
The skirt is extra special with a drop waist crochet SCALLOPED edge and intricate crochet work.
The bodice and underneath-part of the dress is new, 100% cotton.
The bodice has five silk flowers, each with a small pearl button sewn into its center.
The entire dress is lined.
It has four snaps in the back.
This dress will also fit the following 16” Kish girls:
Amalia & Tia (Ballerinas) Alice (in Wonderland) Daphne Emma Jo Kathy Naomi Rachel Snow White
The four 1996 “Sunday Best” girls: MacKenzie Margot Meredith Molly
Two of the 1997 “Famous Painters” series: Rose Sara
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.
Just as artists who work on reborn baby dolls do, I used a blush of shadow-colors in creases, dimples, and concave areas of the face, arms, hands, chest and rounded tummy.
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 and to match her dress.
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.
Fingernails
Painted with blush coloring, with half-moons and French tips.
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.
FINISH:
Resin-oil glow (gloss) on eyes and satin gloss on lips
A thin veil of clear matte (non-shiny) varnish on rest of her face.
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. Seasons Dolls were designed by Helen Kish and produced by White Balloon International Doll Company of Valencia in Spain. They were distributed in the USA by Paradise Galleries. These Seasons dolls were produced in 2003 (date on certificate) and are RETIRED.
KISH MARKS: There is an impressed mark on the back of her head near the neck: 1997 Kish and Company 97F. I signed my name there, too.
This doll was pre-owned, looking for a new home on eBay. Please understand that I am purchasing dolls at retail prices, just as you would. I am a portrait artist, not a doll distributor, dealer, or shop.
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.
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.
