By Hannah Kelley
Photos by Sandra Earles
Sandra Earles’ dolls call to mind a bygone era, with their delicately painted faces, traditional hairstyles, and handmade clothing. Each piece captures a classic elegance and is crafted with the gentle touch of someone who understands and cares about the fine details.
“I have a special affinity for the long past,” Earles said. “It’s part of what none of us can possibly remember because we weren’t born yet, but we can study those relics left behind. How our ancestors depicted the human figure tells a story. You can piece together the past with modern-day creations to see a little bit of what’s coming in the future.”
Born, raised, and currently residing in Denham Springs, Louisiana, as the daughter of an artist, corporate careers didn’t stand a chance against Earles’ creative passions. “I guess I’ve been an artist all my life with stints in retail sales and management, but art was always at the forefront, especially sculpture,” she said.
The dollmaker grew up with fashion and baby dolls, her favorites of which were the Liddle Kiddles. She said, “I made my first doll professionally about 34 years ago. I was trying to replicate a doll I saw in a special exhibit at a museum in New Orleans. Those first dolls were a little primitive, which turned out to be to my advantage, as primitive dolls were becoming popular. Over time, I tried different painting techniques and designs.”
Earles made dolls for years before officially establishing her business. This provided adequate time to think up a suitable name. She said, “I started using the name Up All Night Studio about 25 years ago because I was doing just that … staying up all night to fulfill orders.” As she was also raising two sons, this comes as no surprise.
Separating her art from housework has been a consistent challenge, as they are carried out in the same location, but Earles quipped, “That’s what a slow cooker is for.” She makes the best of her limited space, saying, “Currently my workspace is relegated to a corner of my kitchen, and a corner of my bedroom is used for storage.” Even with space restrictions, she manages to indulge her inner collector by filling her home with miniature dolls, dollhouse dolls, and miniature accessories.
Accommodating fellow collectors with varying amounts of display room, Earles makes dolls in sizes ranging from 2 inches to 25 inches. Many of the dolls wear dresses made from light-colored cotton muslin, which Earles said was the textile most used for clothes during the Regency era.
Collectors have the option to order customized dolls, and Earles said these are her bestsellers: “I think it gives customers the opportunity to create their own characters. They can choose hairstyles, skin, hair, and eye colors to give each doll a different look.” She added, “One-of-a-kind dolls are popular with my customers that tend to collect unique pieces.”
The two steps Earles loves most are sculpting and painting, although dolls with long hair can pose a challenge. She said, “Since the hair is made of clay, the doll must be dressed before the hair goes on. After it cures, then there’s the sweat-breaking task of painting the lengthy tresses while not getting paint on the clothing.” In general, the assembly process is less enjoyable than the creative aspects, but seeing the finished doll is satisfying. Earles also makes many of the accompanying accessories by hand.
Like other artists who are emotionally invested in their work, Earles has mixed feelings about the final steps. She said, “I loathe the listing process, as it means the creation I put love and effort into will be leaving but happily will find another home.”
For those who’ve watched the BBC’s television series Gentleman Jack, Earles’ work might already look familiar. Some of her finished dolls appeared in the second season, and Earles said, “They even had a close-up!” In addition to creating a lasting memory for Earles, the use of her dolls in such a production lends support to the high-quality and authentic nature of their styling and construction.
Although her specialty is Regency- and Georgian-style dolls, which have proven to be popular, Earles likes to occasionally break out of her usual mold to create other types of dolls. In the future, she plans to make more fantasy dolls, including cyclopes, ghosts, nymphs, vampires, and the like.
Up All Night Studio
