QUEEN ANNE STYLE AND ANTIQUE STYLE WOODEN DOLLS
by Anne Reiss
For information about purchasing a doll email me at
About Me
I have always loved to draw the human figure and face and my artistic career began shortly after I discovered the existence paper and pencil. I graduated from Queens College of the City of New York with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art.
I had been painting in oils and acrylics for well over 40 years when about five years ago I began to experiment with three dimensional art forms.
I first began working in three dimensions by making porcelain, Wedgwood-like cameos. However once I had a kiln and knew the basics of mold-making it seemed only logical to expand to two-sided molds. This is how I began making dolls.
After about a year or so I realized that for me, porcelain was too indirect a method for me. Having acquired the basics of 3D, going back to 2D was out of the question and so I decided to learn to carve wood.
The lathe, one of mankind's oldest wood working tools, is based upon a simple principle. A block of wood is positioned between two centers and a chisel is held against the spinning wood thus evenly scraping away waste wood. Early lathes were pedal operated. The doll's general form can be quickly carved this way but the face must be carved by hand. Many of the earliest dolls known to us were lathe turned with hand carved details.
Carving wooden dolls has given me a unique opportunity to explore the beauty of the human face in three dimensions. Creating a little personality out of a hunk of wood, glass eyes, a wig and period costume has presented a wonderful challenge to me as an artist and as a human being.
I have recently moved from the hills of North Carolina with my husband Michael and our toy poodle and tiger cat to the shores of South Carolina. Who knows, the scent of the sea may inspire me to revisit an old love of mine, mermaids. In the past I had done a few paintings of mermaids but now I'd like to try my hand at one hand carved of wood. Stay tuned. :-)
