By Stephanie Finnegan
It’s a small world, after all. Walt Disney certainly knew it, and so does doll artist Brea Banks. Banks, whose business is named Le Petit Monde (“The Tiny World”), is well aware of how interconnected everyone and everything seems to be. Growing up in Alberta, Canada, and now making her home north of Houston, Texas, Banks has a fascinating perspective on what makes a creative soul tick. Even though her background is in the performing arts, she knew she had much to offer and deliver inside the world of hands-on sculpting.
“I find that all of the creative areas of my life blur together into a giant engine. Each facet has its purpose, and they all work together to push me toward my next project,” Banks shared.
As a child in Canada, Banks was immersed in performing, and she thrived there, cheered on and applauded by her mentoring mom: “As a kid, I thought everyone had supportive parents, but I know better now. My mom gave me her creative genetics and always supported my artistic dreams. She was at every lesson, competition, and show I ever did.”
Today, while Banks navigates her way in the BJD realm, her mother is still providing encouragement and lending her own helpful advice and fashion skills. “My mom loves to ‘talk dolls’ and come up with new ideas,” Banks said. “She works alongside me in lots of areas, but especially does all the knitting and crocheting! I love having such a fun thing I can share with my mom, and I’m also thankful for the talent she brings to the table.”
Self-taught in the dollmaking arena, Banks had the desire to create dolls but initially lacked the confidence to pursue this ambition. Thankfully, she traveled beyond her insecurity and self-doubt: “I’d been flirting with sculpting for years, but I never imagined people would actually want to collect my dolls. I started getting serious about my art four years ago, but I didn’t have the gumption to sell any dolls until 2022,” Banks said. “I’ve learned perseverance and how art has to come from my soul. As ‘cute’ and ‘fun’ as dolls can be, learning this art form was a bit brutal. If I wasn’t truly obsessed with it, I would have given up by now.”
Never one to sidestep a challenge, the artist has made a point to continue learning new skills and to task herself with new accomplishments. She said, “Currently, I make most of my doll clothing and accessories, and I recently started making my own eyeballs. I love coming up with fun props and accessories that I can make as well. My next goal is to start creating shoes. Honestly, I’d learn to make everything if I had time!”
Manufacturing additional hours in the day is a talent Banks wishes she could cultivate. Her daily schedule is jam-packed with doll details, full-time work, and caring for her family. “Part of my job is writing music and managing creatives. I’ve been able to grow creatively and also learn to manage myself. I enjoy both the creative and the business side of being an artist. I think I’ve grown into that through working in multiple fields.”
Banks’ home life definitely blooms with love and inspiration. Her husband of nine years is a vocal advocate of all his wife’s pursuits. Her 3-year-old son is her chief muse and inspiration. Banks is charmed by his personality, attitude, and demeanor.
“I have endless mood boards, recordings, sketches, and thoughts on file in my brain. It’s like a little garden of potential projects. Every moment is an opportunity to observe the world around me and notice how I connect to it. Then I simply collect those observations like seeds. As I process life, and water those ideas, something usually begins to grow!” Banks stated.
“This year, I’m introducing a new body sculpt that I’m really excited about,” she said. “I am working toward a line of dolls with a younger gender-neutral body. My first doll in this new style is Joy. She has a big grin and teeth, which is quite a pivot from my earlier sculpts.”
Her Joy doll is aptly named, since so many of her collectors have said that her “dolls spread joy.” Residing in a tiny world of doll collecting and creating, Banks is humbled and grateful every day for her good fortune. “Le Petit Monde is my brand name, and I just love the overarching idea of losing myself in a miniature world. Plus, like many things, the name ‘The Tiny World’ sounds prettier in French!” What are Banks’ future ambitions and plans? Her eventual bucket list might surprise you: “I hope to move a bit farther north from the suburb where I currently reside and find something quirkier, with room for chickens! Oh, and an extra room for my studio, of course.”
Until that wished-for day arrives, Banks continues to design her dolls and their accouterments, and deeply hopes that they “inspire childlike wonder and whimsy. I think as adults, we need to nurture our inner child, and I hope that’s exactly what my dolls do for people.”
