Pioneering artist Pat Moulton continues to expand her knowledge

Over her career of 40+ years, Pat Moulton has created award-winning baby dolls and BJDs; invented new tools, been at the forefront of innovations in the doll collecting field, and taught and mentored many other artists. Her many contributions to the doll-collecting hobby earned her DOLLS magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. And still, she continues to expand her knowledge of dollmaking techniques rather than resting on her laurels.

Pork Chop, the very first reborn kit. “I was so proud to be the inventor that started this whole new industry with the kits,” Moulton said.

Moulton is perhaps best-known in the reborn community as the inventor of the doll kit for reborn artists. Her Pork Chop kit, released in 2005, provided a blank slate for reborn artists to finish, and led to an entire new segment of the doll-collecting hobby. She was also one of the first artists to create babies for reproduction in silicone.

Moulton’s twin dolls Avery were cast in silicone by Angie Lewes.

“Rita Rich, Melissa McCrory, and myself were the first artists to reproduce dolls in silicone back in 2003,” Moulton recalled. “Melissa cast my dolls in silicone at that time — the silicone was much firmer than the soft silicone used to cast dolls now.”

Siebel is one of Moulton’s resin babies.

Since then, Moulton’s baby sculpts have been cast in vinyl, silicone, and resin. Each material requires a different set of techniques for moldmaking and casting, she said. “The silicone molds are glove molds, and the resin dolls are in container molds. The vinyl kits and dolls are sent to China for production, because there are no manufacturers in the US to make the vinyl dolls or kits.”

Hazel, shown here in resin form, is the first of Moulton’s babies that she will cast in silicone herself.

This year, Moulton is learning how to cast in silicone herself, with the help of fellow artist Kellie Becket. Her baby doll Hazel, currently in resin form, will be the first silicone baby Moulton has cast herself. “It’s exciting for me to be able to cast my own doll in silicone, just as it’s so exciting to be able to create through clay the sweet faces of the babies I sculpt.”