my sales table at the Quinlan Philadelphia Weekend Event
If
you are interested in Art Dolls there are so many good reasons to attend an Art
Doll Convention. Viewing pictures of art
dolls over the internet or in a magazine cannot compare to the actual
experience of seeing the art doll right in front of you. I recently returned from quite a large Art
Doll and Teddy Bear convention in Philadelphia sponsored by the Susan Quinlan Museum. What an absolutely delightful experience it
was!
Gypsy Wedding by Natalie Ruiz
If
you are a collector, attending an event like this gives you the opportunity to
get to know the artists on a close and personal basis while getting to see the
latest works of a wide selection of artists.
The Quinlan Philadelphia Conference is a very reasonably priced
conference to attend which includes the cost of your meals and beverages.
Moment of Zen by Lori Platt
If
you are a doll or teddy bear artist, attending an event like this gives you the
opportunity to network, exhibit your work to a large group of collectors and
representatives from various professional organizations. The price of the Quinlan conference is
exceptionally reasonable, includes all of your meals and beverages, and
includes a sales table.
My sales table
The
first day of the event was filled with a variety of workshops that early
arrivers could take. I taught a workshop
on how to use watercolors on needle sculpted cloth dolls to develop skin tone
and facial coloration. Here are pictures
of the broach doll busts that two of my students painted.
Bernice Gasaway's hand painted broach
Mary DeMattina and her hand painted doll broach
The
first evening event was a viewing of the one of a kind artist signature piece
gallery. What wonderful inspiration to
find in one room! The talent within the
group of artists attending was simply amazing! Here are a few pictures from the
gallery.
Briar Rose by Rafael Nuri
Goddess by Marla Niederer
Henni by Nina Tugarina
Wonder and a Vow by Christine Shively Benjamin
Periwinkle by Mary Ward
Sleepless in the Sahara by Lillian Alberti
Those Quiet Moments by Diane Keeler
Aqua by Patricia Rowe
Charlotte by Coleen Athens
After
the exhibit there was a banquet dinner.
What a lovely group of people all in one place! Whenever I attend a doll maker’s convention
or retreat I always find new friends.
The
next morning several other galleries were exhibited. I was able to exhibit one
of my wedding cake toppers in the Here Comes the Bride Gallery and one of my
Flower Faeries in the Hand painted Gallery.
On top of the morning gallery exhibits there were all kinds of supplies
for doll making and teddy bear making for sale.
Wonder and a Vow by Christine Shively Benjamin
Wedding Topper by Marla Niederer
Flower Faerie by Marla Niederer
After
a day of a variety of very interesting programs to attend there was an early
bird Art Doll and Teddy Bear sale open only to conference attendants.
Donna Mae Robinson's sales table
Shelly Thornton's sales table
Christine Shively Benjamin's sales table
Diane Keeler's Sales table
Michelle Pulaski's sales table
Mary Ward's sales table
The
evening ended with another lovely banquet dinner. It was so nice to be able to chat with old
and new friends!
On
the final day of the conference the Art Doll and Teddy Bear sale was open to
the public. It was so much fun to chat
with all the collectors that came to stop in and say hello. The whirlwind event ended with another
banquet dinner where attendants could visit and revisit highlights of the
event.
Lillian Alberti's sales table
Sandra Wright Justiss at her sales table
A doll on Sandra Wright Justiss' sales table
Now that you are inspired by all of these beautiful dolls, I hope you save the date on your calender to attend the Quinlan Art Doll and Teddy Bear Convention next year on May 4 - May 6, 2017
If you can't wait that long and are interested in taking an art doll making workshop I will be teaching an online class on AforArtistic starting on May 25, 2016
You can click on the following link to find out more about the class and to sign up. Hope to see you there :-)
What I love the
most about needle sculpting my cloth art dolls is that they never come out
identical. Even though I can use the
same exact pattern, fabric, etc, each doll seems to have its own personality
and never looks quite like the first one I created. I love this aspect of the needle sculpting
process because it makes each doll unique.
You
can find out more information about the class by clicking here
If you would like
to join me in the live class the Goddess at Artistic Figures in Cloth and Clay
you can click here to find out more information.
