Let Me Tell
You A Little About Myself...
First
of all, I'M A CHRISTMAS NUT!!! I
change pictures and window toppers, and move
furniture out to make room for the more than 10
trees I decorate with at Christmas. Some of
my antique dolls become angels, others are found
riding in sleighs, decorating trees, or other
vignettes. I am fortunate to have many of my
parents' dolls, toys and books, which I display
year around. Also, fortunately, my mother
saved my dolls and toys, and birthday and Christmas
cards (some of which are shown on this
page!). As a child,
growing up on a small farm near Princeton, IL, I
was always daydreaming, creating scenarios with my
dolls, making my own paper dolls, etc. As an
adult, I now live in a very small town closer to
Chicago and I have continued to create, making
dolls and teddy bears and other toys for my own
children, and now Grandchildren. I
incorporate many of these ideas into toys and
accessories for my Santas. Every time Santa
holds a list of "GOOD GIRLS AND BOYS", he is really
holding a list of my 8 grandchildren!!
I suppose knowing how I love to create scenarios, and also
how I LOVE CHRISTMAS, It was only natural that I would
combine the two and begin to create Santa figures which
would become a vignette in and of
themselves.
I am well known
in my local area at Antique or resale Shops,
and at tag sales and benefit sales. The
workers stand back and whisper among themselves,
wondering what Santa I will be creating with that
pair of boots, those mittens, that rocking horse or
cradle. They help me find fur coats, tapestry
fabric, and feathers or jewelry, buckles, and
buttons. Sometimes simply finding a fabric
will be the inspiration for a new Santa. On
every vacation I search for new goodies to put with
my creations. My mind never stops
creating. My husband threatens to get me a
real job, if my brain doesn't slow
down.!!
I prefer to create "TURN OF THE CENTURY - OLD WORLD SANTAS", using toys and accessories from that era, but occasionally make a Santa reminiscent of my own 1950's childhood, often incorporating small "books" that I have made from copies of my own childhood books.
When I paint a face, I try to covey a feeling of wonder and excitement in the children, and of Serenity and Love in Santa himself, which is, after all.......THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
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This page was last updated by
my webmaster-grandson, Anthony
on February 23, 2002.
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