Art Dolls | DOLLS magazine | Collecting Dolls

Halloween Spirits: Marguerite Noschese’s Dolls Combine Whimsy, Scariness, Humor

by DOLLS Magazine Contributor | Art Dolls, Collectible Dolls, Fantasy & Popular Culture |

I came to the business of creating art dolls along a very circuitous path — I had been a dealer in antique dolls, children’s toys, and antique baby clothes. I was also an avid quilter and creator of fabric dolls, while later I worked as a child portrait artist. While I loved all these different artistic pursuits, it all came together for me artistically when I began making art dolls. My passion for fabrics, design, and portrait painting were now all incorporated in one discipline: art dolls!

Pumpkins on Parade: Jennie Hepler Takens Carves Out a Career in Halloween Art

by DOLLS Magazine Contributor | Art Dolls, Collectible Dolls, Fantasy & Popular Culture |

Years ago, a group of friends and I had to go to one of the friends’ houses for something. When we entered his parents’ home, I was immediately enchanted. His mother, Sue Shroyer, had the most delicious collection of antique German Halloween pieces I’d ever seen. She had artisan-made pieces, antiquities, and work by famed artists the world over. I just couldn’t believe my eyes! At that moment, I began my home-grown education into dollmaking and Halloween art.

Ghoulies & Ghosties: Linda Lyons Specializes in Haunting OOAK Creations

by DOLLS Magazine Contributor | Art Dolls, Collectible Dolls, Fantasy & Popular Culture |

My inspiration for most of my dolls come from ghosts and animals. When I was young, I always loved the old black-and-white horror movies like “The Mummy,” “House on Haunted Hill,” “Frankenstein,” “Wolfman,” etc. I’m also a big animal lover, so many times I will create anthropomorphic dolls.

Carol Johansen Finds Joy in Dollmaking

by DOLLS Magazine Staff | Art Dolls, Collectible Dolls |

A lifelong doll lover and a serious collector since the mid-’90s, Carol Johansen began exploring making her own dolls when, she said, “My taste in dolls outstripped my budget, as it does for many of us.” She took sculpting courses both locally and online from such artists as Diane Keeler and Deb Wood and began making dolls professionally in 2008.

Elizabeth Cooper Carves Creative Niche With Clay Characters

by DOLLS Magazine Contributor | Art Dolls, Collectible Dolls, Dollmakers, Elizabeth Cooper Studio, Fantasy & Popular Culture |

During a nearly 30-year doll-design career, Elizabeth Cooper has unfailingly relied on the same successful formula. First comes inspiration, followed by motivation, perspiration, and when necessary, innovation.