By Hannah Kelley
For Sherrie Neilson, work is never far from her mind. As an artist and business owner, it comes with the territory. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Neilson is a professional dollmaker, as well as the owner of Making Art Dolls and the CEO and president of the Professional Doll Makers Art Guild. She said, “Honestly, my whole world revolves around dollmaking. If I’m not working in my shop, making art dolls, or working on my guild, I am thinking about it.” Her work as an independent contractor processing medical insurance claims does give her mind an occasional break, however.
Describing how she got her start in dollmaking, Neilson said she knew she had to give it a try after coming across one-of-a-kind fairy dolls on eBay in the late ’90s. She had been exposed to arts and crafts throughout her life, so this was just one more type of project. “I scoured the internet for any tutorials or books on dollmaking I could find,” she said. “At that time, there were not very many artists who wanted to share their dollmaking skills. I was fortunate to find Patricia Rose, Jack Johnston, and Wendy Froud. I purchased their dollmaking videos and attended one of Jack Johnston’s dollmaking workshops.”
When Neilson found herself unemployed in 2016 because the company where she’d worked for years closed, she said, “I was devastated and really didn’t know what I was going to do. My little niece was listening to me boo-hoo to my family and she spoke up and said, ‘You have a job — you make dolls.’ I thought about that for a minute and said yes! It is a job and one that I love.” Neilson joined PDMAG’s intermediate academy that year. It is a program that provides guidance for emerging artists. She said, “With the help of the mentors, I was soon able to create the dolls that I had envisioned.” Not long after, Neilson established Heart of a Fairy, an online store for her OOAK dolls.
Gradually, Neilson has fine-tuned her skills. She likes to begin a new doll by sculpting the head and face, which happens to be one of her favorite parts. The head influences the size and appearance of the rest of the body. As other dollmakers can attest, hands are difficult to perfect. “I struggled with hands for many years. I dreaded making hands, but after years of practicing, I am finally able to sculpt an amazing pair of hands,” Neilson said. Her biggest challenge lately has been the outfits, which she sews herself, but they come together in the end.
As someone who has tried multiple brands of polymer clay, paper clay, and air-dry clay, Neilson said she comes back to ProSculpt polymer clay time and time again. She noted it holds details well and has a realistic skin tone once baked. With how passionate she is about the product, it’s no wonder Jack Johnston, the creator of ProSculpt, entrusted Neilson with his ProSculpt and ArtDolls companies when he retired.
Through Making Art Dolls, Neilson sells ProSculpt in four different colors — baby, fairy light, beige, and ethnic. The online store also carries handmade glass-like resin eyes, sculpting tools, and other dollmaking supplies. “I am always on the lookout for new and exciting dollmaking supplies. I am always adding new things to the shop. I am currently working on new art doll video workshops and will be holding an in-person workshop in my home very soon,” she said. A ProSculpt art doll contest was even carried out through Making Art Dolls in 2024, and Neilson would like to make it an annual contest.
The support of family and friends has been crucial for Neilson as she’s become more active with her doll ventures. She said, “My amazing husband helps me run my store, which really takes a lot of pressure off me, and my wonderful mother and daughter attend the doll shows with me. I really don’t think I could have gotten this far in my dollmaking career without the support of my family and friends. I hold them all very dear to my heart.”
PDMAG has been a source of support as well, and Neilson was more than happy to step up when Cherie Fretto asked her to take over as CEO and president. Fretto shared her knowledge with Neilson before turning over the reins on July 1, 2023. Neilson described PDMAG as “an international guild of talented artists that work hard to promote the art doll industry and to enlighten the public as to how much art there is in the term ‘art doll.’ Our mission is to showcase and promote the biggest talents and emerging artists from around the world to help them achieve their dreams of becoming world-class art doll makers.”
Neilson understands she has big shoes to fill with PDMAG, but after a year, she already loves her role and is up for any challenges that may arise. In addition, she’s been brainstorming ways to bring members together. Neilson said, “I am currently working on a way for the guild members to meet up every year at a retreat. I think this would bring the group closer together and give the group a chance to collaborate on what projects we could do the following year as a group.”
Having entered the world of dollmaking at a time when artists were less willing to share their tips and tricks, Neilson has found value in being more open. She said, “I love sharing with other artists the skills and techniques that I have learned over the years. I believe that sharing and collaborating with other doll artists is a great way to help promote the art doll world.”
Making Art Dolls
