Zouave Drummer Boy - Izannah Walker Inspired

Zouave Drummer Boy - Izannah Walker Inspired

 This special doll is my first Izannah Walker inspired boy doll, and he wears a costume inspired by the trend of dressing boys in military uniforms during the American Civil War. The bright Zouave uniforms especially caught my eye, so I decided to create a costume inspired by them. This doll is a new, unique sculpt.

Hand Painted Boots - Izannah Walker Inspired

His red trimmed black ankle boots, have been hand painted, and gently "aged".

Izannah Walker Inspired Doll

His hair is brown, and was painted in many layers, to give a beautiful depth, and lots of individual hair strands. He has short wispy strands across the back of his head, a centre parting, and wisps framing his face. 

His features have been painted with artist grade acrylic paints, and sealed with several coats of matt varnish. He has painted blue eyes, and  has been antiqued to give him a real "old doll" look and feel.

His body is made from calico, and his head and hands are hand sculpted from Paperclay.

Izannah Walker Inspired Doll - Boys Underwear

Izannah Walker Inspired Doll - Red Pants

He wears cotton drawers, and an under shirt. His wide leg pants are made from red cotton, and fasten with a hook and hand worked loop.

Izannah Walker Inspired Boy Doll

 His blue cotton jacket has a tartan lining, and hand stitched soutache braid decoration. His sash is made from red wool, with a pale blue silk trim, held in place by a black leather belt.

Zouave Drummer Boy - American Civil War

 I carved teeny drum sticks for him, and made a small drum for him to carry. It has the badge of the 5th New York Zouaves, from the American Civil War. All of his clothes are fully removable, and feature french seams and large amounts of hand sewing.

It was a lot of fun to work on a boy's costume for a change, I imagine there will be more boys in the future!

Shop Update

It's been a lovely sunny day here today, if a bit chilly, but it's been great for taking photos.....

I've popped two Izannah Walker style dolls into my Etsy shop

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

Mary - Izannah Walker Doll - Dottie Dollie

They are cast in flumo, from my Mary mould, which I made from my own original sculpture. Each doll is hand painted and costumed uniquely........my short attention span wouldn't have it any other way!!!!

All the clothing is fully removable, the element of "play" is so important to me........ There's lots of hand sewing, and of course my favourite crackle glazed finish....

I try to give my Izannahs an English twist.....tartan was really popular in Victorian England, along with the ankle strap shoes. I've been digging deep in my vintage lace stash to embellish these girls undies too.....

Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday

Wordless Wednesday

A day late.......

If you live Stateside I'm probably only  a few hours late for Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Doll Size Shoes

I've been working, on and off, for the last couple or weeks on some small footwear. Mary, my Izannah walker style doll can be made with bare feet, or painted boots, and the bare foot girl has been very patiently waiting for some shoes to add to her wardrobe.

Mary - Izannah Walker Inspired

Although many of the original Izannah Walker dolls have painted, laced ankle boots, I noticed that so many pictures of girls from the mid 19th Century showed them wearing ankle strap shoes, so I thought that Mary had best have both!

Izannah with Painted Boots

Ankle Strap Shoes

Ankle Strap Shoes

Laced Ankle Boots

Original Izannah Walker Doll

You can see lots more pictures of all things Izannah Walker related, and inspired here in my Pinterest board.

First up were red ankle straps. Everyone needs some red shoes, right?

Doll Shoe Parts

Mary ready to try her new shoes

They fit like a glove!

A second pair were decorated with a buckle in a dark brown leather

Ready for the fastener

The lace up boots were tricky to fit, but I still made two pairs....

Fitting lace up boots

Once they were all finished, it was time to write up the pattern...

Inspiration and finished shoes

Reproduction Izannah Walker shoes

Doll Shoes & Pattern

One of the things that I love most about being a doll artist, is that I get to chop and change what skills I use all the time! Next week it's back to clay and doll faces :0)

Mary in my Etsy Shop....

The first two sample Mary's were snapped up by one of my students, and life has really got in the way of my completing the third - but at last - she's now finished, and available in my Etsy shop.

 

Mary - Izannah Walker Inspired Doll

 

She has a cloth body, flumo head and hands, and is dressed in a reproduction civil war cotton fabric. I hand knotted the coral beads around her neck, and embroidered her 3 piece underwear set.

 

Mary - Izannah Walker Inspired Doll



Underwear, and dress



Hair, and hands detail



Mary - Izannah Walker Inspired Doll

 

The rest of the shop is looking very sparse, but I hope to upload some brooches and charms really soon!!!

 



Izannah Walker Inspired...

Since the beginning of this year I have spent most of my time working on an Izannah Walker inspired doll, for a class that I will be teaching at the end of the month.

 

My days have been filled with sculpting, mould making, casting, pattern making, painting, sewing and stuffing. It has been all consuming, overwhelming and a great pleasure.

 

I've been working pretty much 7 days a week, and into the evenings, designing, creating and falling in love with "Mary" my 11" doll, inspired by Izannah's gentle old dolls from the mid 1800's. She is named after my Great, Great Grandmother Mary Falvey, who was born in Colchester barracks in 1863, a mere stones throw from where I live now.

 

 I still have lots of work to do, preparing casts, patterns and worksheets for my students, but I thought it was about time I shared my progress here.......







My Sculpture in Paperclay

 

Making the Plaster Mould





Casting Flumo Greenware





Casting Flumo Greenware



The Casts Are Cleaned And Gessoed





Designing The Body Pattern

 

Photos Of Antique Dolls Inspired The Painting



Paint Is "Antiqued"

Crackle Glaze Gives An "Old" Look

Alternate Hairstyles & Eyebrows

 

 

Paperclay Sculpt, Flumo Cast, Painted Arm

Painted Booties and Striped Stockings

Bare Toes, And Clothing Patterns In The Making

 

First "Mary" is complete

My aim with this doll is not to make an exact reproduction of Izannah's work, but to capture the "feel" and style of her dolls, with an English twist.





You can see more of my inspiration for these dolls, on my Pinterest board which is full of original dolls, paintings, clothing and children from the mid 19th Century.