Lost Ghost Hannah, 21 inches. “This doll will be at Lovetts Gallery in October 2022 for their exhibition Area 51,” the artist said. “Her head is larger than I usually sculpt. I love this size and will be doing more in the future.”
Linda Lyons wearing purple contacts. “I got jealous of my dolls’ big eyes, so I wanted a pair to make them larger and purple,” the artist said.
By Linda Lyons
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.
Albert Sweinstein, 18 inches. “Albert was inspired by my love of all animals. Since pigs are extremely intelligent and can recognize themselves in a mirror, I wanted to create him like an Albert Einstein.”
Ghost Lily, 22 inches. “She was created for the Lovetts Gallery exhibition Radical Botanicals. I saw a black lily online and thought, ‘what a great accessory for one of my ghost creations.’ Her eyes are made from resin made by a talented artist, Yovanka Black, who creates amazing dolls and eyes and has an Etsy shop called SOULinAboxDOLLS.”
For every doll I create, I start with the head. I wrap foil in masking tape and sculpt over that. Making the head and face are my favorite parts. After sanding each head down to a smooth finish, I paint with acrylic paints, watercolors, and chalk pastels. My favorite area of the face are the eyes — it often feels like a little soul is looking back at me. Every once in a while, I’d swear they blink at me. It’s happened more than once, but I have heard other doll artists say they have experienced the same thing. It’s a strange phenomenon.
Lillith, 14 inches. “Lillith was actually a commissioned piece from a collector who has collected my work from the beginning. I love creating ghost dolls, and they seem to be my most popular.”
Mazzie’s Favorite Doll, 14 inches. “This doll was created for Penumbra Gallery in Portugal for their show Entity. I wanted to show another one of my lost little ghosts, who still carries her favorite little odd doll with a unicorn horn.”
I also love creating the ghost costumes. There is something about the old, discolored fabric that contrasts with the white skin of the doll. It just makes them look more ghostly. I also underpaint all my dolls with black gesso before the skin color. It creates a better surface and gives the doll a more translucent appearance.
Torn Between Life and Death, 20 inches, is sculpted from Ladoll Premix clay. Her clothing is handmade from vintage fabric which has been distressed further on the ghost side of the doll. She was part of a show at Lovetts Gallery called Duets.
White Oleander, 18 inches, was created for a Lovetts Gallery show called Radical Botanicals. “She’s my interpretation of a toxic individual, and how toxic people can kill relationships even if they look sweet and innocent. The dead cardinal represents the damage done by people like this,” Lyons said.
When I’m not making dolls, I enjoy painting and mixed media and have sold a few pieces. I also have been weight training for most of my life and try to stay in shape. It’s been a great stress release, and I can’t imagine not doing it. While I’m working out, I’m usually thinking about things I want to create. I also love just hanging out with my husband and dog and watching movies or whatever series we are binge-watching on Netflix!
