HOW TO CREATE AN ALTERED ART DOLL



An easy lesson!

This instruction in assemblage is all about recycling. You can make a fine art piece at very little expense!

Bell-shaped glass lampshades or curvy glass vases can be purchased for pennies at thrift shops. Find them in frosted, clear, marbleized, etched, fluted, or pressed glass. Other choices for "skirts" are transparent glass lamp chimneys or scavenged glass bells. Trap objects underneath the skirt as you would beneath a glass cloche or bell jar.



Cheap lamp chimneys

Find inexpensive, used plastic dolls at a second-hand store and combine their parts in new ways. Such mis-matching makes the project far more interesting and meaningful! I cut them at the hips or just below the waist. Tip: join the parts with heavy gel medium, molding paste or other heavy-duty adhesive. Let harden.

My advice is to paint the re-assembled doll with gesso first, but you can try acrylics right away if you like. I use several thin coats of beiges, browns, even black, to create an aged effect.



Sea Wraith. 9" x 5."


I prefer to remove all or most of the original doll hair—it's usually quite unkempt on the second-hand dolls I use, anyway. Then I paint the hair area, let dry, and construct a headpiece of fabric flowers, faux jewels, butterflies, seashells, or feathers. I adhere those elements securely.

Finally, join the doll to the "skirt" or ballgown with more of the modeling paste or extra heavy gel medium,smoothing it out evenly to unify the piece. When that's dry, paint the joint area.

 

Homage to the Venus de Milo. 11" x 6."