A Family Comes Together to Make Vivi J Art Dolls a Success
By Hannah Kelley
Photos by Eliza Johnson
When one family member loves dolls, it’s bound to rub off on others, and this can span multiple generations. That is certainly true for Elisa Johnson, who grew up surrounded by her mother’s extensive antique doll collection and had dolls collected on her behalf before she was even born. Johnson recalls attending numerous doll shows as a child, and when she was 18, her mother launched a product line for the antique doll market. The whole family pitched in to bring the product to the doll community.
Through these experiences, Johnson developed an appreciation for dolls as works of art, and when the opportunity presented itself, she seized the chance to create some of her own. She said, “At 19, my mother signed me up for a week-long sculpting (class) with a local doll artist. I completed a full sculpt during that week, and afterward, I sculpted several more heads. The face was always my favorite part to create. But then life happened — career, marriage, children — and my early work was carefully boxed up and stored away.”
Johnson and her husband live about an hour from Seattle, in the foothills of the Cascade mountains. They have nine children between the ages of 7 and 22, and Johnson said, “Before motherhood, I worked as a credit manager for a finance company, but after the birth of our first daughter, we made the decision that I would leave the corporate world and focus on raising our family. Over the years, I explored various creative ventures from home, including a jewelry business and, for the past 15-plus years, a fabric and custom pillow business with my business, Johnson’s sculpting remained on hold, but she and her daughters carried on the collecting tradition.
Life for the Johnson family shifted abruptly on December 1, 2019: “We experienced a devastating house fire and lost many sentimental things — including my daughters’ cherished Betsy McCall and Mary Engelbreit dolls by Robert Tonner. They were treasured pieces that we had collected over the years, and it felt like a deep personal loss.
“Shortly after, I saw an estate sale listing that featured some dolls similar to the ones we’d lost. My sister Tonja lived nearby, and I asked her to go and see if she could purchase a few. She agreed — and while she was there, something unexpected happened. She discovered a Little Darling doll that she fell in love with and bought for herself. That moment was a spark for her, and soon she was deep into the world of customizing doll wigs.”
Four years later, King signed up to have a booth at the 2024 Modern Doll Collectors Convention, and she invited Johnson to join her. “At the show, I met so many incredible people, and my booth just happened to be next to Jacob of Blank Space Dolls. He introduced me to the world of 3D printed artist dolls — and I was instantly hooked,” Johnson said.
Upon returning home, Johnson let her creativity flow as she sculpted new dolls from clay. She figured out how to make 3D scans, and with the help of King, she was able to convert these into print-ready digital files. Johnson’s 20-year-old son stepped in to set up a resin printer and taught Johnson how to use it. Her first 3D-printed doll was completed five weeks before the 2024 Ball-Jointed Doll Convention.
While Johnson completes most of the dollmaking tasks — including sculpting the dolls by hand, creating the digital files, printing the parts, and completing each face-up — her family has provided much-needed support. In addition to tolerating the common areas of their home being overtaken by dollmaking supplies while they await the completion of a craft shed, she said, “A couple of my adult children work for me, helping with the sanding and prep of the doll parts so I can focus more on the creative aspects like painting and assembly. Their help has been invaluable as the business has grown.” Johnson shared that her 11-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter have been sculpting companion characters of their own, which will be introduced in 2026. And King, of course, creates natural-fiber wigs for the dolls.
The business name Johnson chose reflects the value she places on family: “The name Vivi J Art Dolls is deeply personal. ‘Vivi’ comes from my beloved grandmother, Vivian — also my middle name — and ‘J’ stands for Johnson, my family name. The name reflects both my heritage and the heart I put into every creation.”
Inspired by everyday life and children, Johnson said, “My dolls are rooted in realism and expressiveness. I love creating faces with depth, warmth, and a gentle spirit — dolls that evoke a simpler life in the country, with classic styling and relaxed playability. I want collectors to feel joy, nostalgia, and connection when they hold one of my dolls, as if reawakening the childhood joy of nurturing a beloved baby doll.”
Johnson’s in-progress collection is representative of the nine fruits of the Spirit. She has completed three so far — Dasha (goodness), Tempie (self-control), and Fredric (peace) — and three more are in the final stages of production. _ e new dolls will be released over the next year.
19-inch Tempie.
She said, “It’s been both humbling and thrilling to see collectors embrace my work. The doll world has welcomed me warmly, and I’m excited for what’s to come. I continue to collaborate with incredibly talented seamstresses and designers to dress and accessorize my dolls just right. I’m here to create art that brings joy, tells a story, and captures the sweet innocence of childhood. I can’t wait to share more of that with the doll world.”
Vivi J Art Dolls
Facebook: Vivi J Art Dolls
