By Pam North

As a self-taught, self-employed doll artist living in North East England, Julie Campbell has explored and devel­oped her creativity through a lot of trial and a fair bit of error. It has led to her becoming an acclaimed maker of marvel­ous miniature dolls.

“As far back as I remember, I have loved dolls and making little things,” Campbell recalled. “As an imaginative child, I would make tiny dolls to live in matchboxes, peg dolls, rag dolls, and finger puppets. I was a voracious reader and would try to bring to life characters from the stories I read. I always was gath­ering scraps of fabric to make clothes for the dolls, and I also made puppets from old socks and felt bits. Whatever I couldn’t actually make, I would spend hours sketching. I progressed to make over Barbie, Tressy, and Daisy dolls, designing and sewing their outfits and giving the dolls radical haircuts. Things haven’t changed that much really. Miniatures really caught my imagina­tion when my own children were very young. First, I started collecting miniature furniture and accessories; then I started making my own miniatures and dolls. I’ve been making minia­ture dolls for many years now, and I have enjoyed every minute! In my spare time, I collect bigger vintage dolls; I also restore vintage fashion dolls, and customize and repaint, too.”

With no formal training in her craft, Campbell learned from other dollmakers who shared their skills with her via tutorials, vid­eos, and books. She soaked up information and techniques like a sponge from every resource possible. “I was impatient and creative, so off I went to the local library (in those days, we didn’t have a home computer), and there I found a book about using polymer clay to make figures. Once I started, I was hooked, and I was thrilled to be able to make dolls even though they didn’t yet quite measure up to the ideas in my head. My first characters were quite cartoonish with big eyes and simple faces, but I strived to make more-realistic characters and studied anatomy books and photos of faces to help me sculpt more believably. When we got our first home computer, I discovered forums and online groups for doll and miniature en­thusiasts. I was intent on learning what worked for me through trial and error. I was particularly inspired by dollmakers like Jan Clark, Jamie Carrington, and Jodi and Richard Creager.”

Campbell worked hard and practiced constantly, and even­tually, she aimed to achieve recognition for excellence in her craft. She applied to the International Guild of Miniature Arti­sans (IGMA) for Artisan status. To become an Artisan Member, an artist must submit samples of their work to be evaluated by the Artisan Selection Committee, which is composed of Fellow, Artisan, and General Members. The artist must also be a mem­ber of IGMA for at least one year immediately prior to applying for Artisan Membership. Campbell achieved Artisan status with IGMA in 2010.

Campbell crafts her miniature dolls in 1:12 scale; most of her dolls are less than 6 inches tall, and each character is unique and handcrafted from start to finish. “I sculpt each character from polymer clay and wire the limbs together,” she explained, “and the dolls are filled with natural fibers.

I paint with heat-set oils, and I design and hand-sew the clothing from natural fabrics, often doing my own dyeing, and I often use vintage laces and trims. There are so many skills involved that I never get bored; I’m a sculptor, designer, seamstress, and hairdresser. It’s a very enjoyable process! I’m always challenging myself to make my ideas become reality. It’s easy to slip into too much realism, and that’s a line I try not to cross, but I like my dolls to have sweet faces and their own personalities. There’s a moment when I’m painting the features that suddenly this little character is looking back at me, and I feel a connection. I also love the enjoyment my characters bring to the collectors who buy my work. Often, I am told my dolls remind people of their loved ones or peo­ple they would enjoy spending time with, and that’s always lovely.”

With her three children grown, Campbell currently lives with her husband, a dog, and two cats. “I started dollmak­ing when my three kids were at school, and now I have five grandchildren, although only one shares my love for dolls,” she said. “My husband always has been very supportive of my art. When my kids were young, I received the dollhouse I had always wanted for Christmas. It was a kit, and I spent months building and decorating it. I knew I wanted a family of dolls to live in it and had clear ideas of how they should look; however, the ones in the toy shops I visited were child­ish and not what I had in mind. Then I came across some dollhouse magazines and realized there was a whole world of adult miniature enthusiasts, collectors, and artisans. I visited miniature fairs and saw beautiful dolls there, but I wanted to create some from my own ideas.”

For years, Campbell worked in the family’s garden sum­merhouse, but once her eldest son left home, she had the luxury of transforming his bedroom into an indoor studio. “My workroom is busy and eclectic. It’s my happy place where I keep my own collection of vintage fashion dolls, but also where I create and store my fabrics and art supplies in old, thrifted furniture. It’s probably my favorite room in our house, but also the smallest!”

She finds inspiration in the people around her, as well as in films and books. “I’m inspired everywhere really; any in­teresting character will spark an idea for a doll. I’ve always liked fairy tales and stories of witches, ghosts, and magic, so that is often reflected in my work.”

Regarding the future direction of artist-made collectibles, Campbell said, “I must admit I worry about the AI-created art we are bombarded with online. It seems that everywhere we look on social media there are AI images being posted as being created by humans. There are people selling cheap recasts of art­ist BJDs, and copies of artist dolls are all too common. It’s hard to know what is real anymore, but I do think genuine artist-made pieces will always be highly prized. The world always will appreciate genuine art because there is something very precious and incredibly special in having something unique and artisan-created. We pour so much of our hearts and souls into each cre­ation that it almost can be felt. It’s a unique experience.”