Advanced Needle Sculpting in Tulsa

 I just wanted to share some picture of the Advanced Needle Sculpting Class I recently taught in Tulsa. I enjoyed every minute of teaching the class!  The Tulsa Dolling Dames are a wonderfully talented and fun group of cloth doll artists.  

You can see more pictures on their facebook page by clicking on this link 

https://www.facebook.com/TulsaDollingDames

Class at Quinlan Show

I just wanted to share some pictures taken at the Quinlan Artist Doll and Teddy Bear Convention in Philadelphia where I had the pleasure of teaching a class on how to needle sculpt a cloth doll head and how to use watercolors for skin tone and facial coloration.  

It was an absolutely wonderful experience.  The class was a lot of fun to teach. The convention is a wonderful setting to meet other artists and make lots of new friends.  I hope you join me in attending the convention next year!

Happy Mother's Day

Hope you enjoy a wonderful mother's day today:-)

Do you Ever Wonder Where Inspiration Comes From?

I just wanted to share where my inspiration came from for one of my latest creations, Claudette.   I have always been a bit fascinated with Santos or cage dolls and when I saw a sale on decorative bird cages I had to buy them and try my hand at creating one.  Shortly afterwards I woke up from a dream remembering the words, “Romance is the Music of Life.”  It just seemed like the perfect theme for my cage doll.  So, I decided to create an altar to romance inside of the birdcage by filling it with handmade crepe paper flowers and a handmade frame filled with a romantic picture.  While searching for a picture to place in the frame I found a portrait of Queen Charlotte painted by Esther Denner in 1761 on Wikipedia.  I fell in love with her costume.  The bodice and ruffled choker created for Claudette were inspired by this painting.  I didn’t use it for the picture in the frame of the altar because I found a painting of Princess Henriette playing the viola by Jean-Marc Nattier that seemed much more appropriate for the theme.  Once I start working on a project it seems like inspiration for different aspects of the project just seem to keep popping up all around me!

It’s not too late to sign up for the online class Claudette: a Cage Doll.  If you would like more information about the class click on the link below :-)

http://www.aforartistic.com/claudette-a-cage-doll-marla-l-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html

Getting Ready to Visit Tulsa

I am so excited to be visiting Tulsa this May at the request of the Tulsa Dolling Dames!  I was so pleased to be invited to teach a class for them that I created a doll with advanced ball jointing techniques that I have never taught before.  The doll has a swivel head also.  I have even been playing with techniques to inset eyes in a needle-sculpted head with a cloth overlay for the class.  This is the doll for the class.  I still need to complete painting the body.  The class will also involve using watercolors for skin tone and facial coloring.
Hope you are enjoying a very creative week :-)

It's time for Spring Already!

Okay, I don’t think I am alone in having enough of winter and being ready for spring.  Well, I can’t control the weather but I can make it look more like spring inside.  I have been on a flower making spree and thought I would share some of the flower art dolls I have been working on.  

I really fell in love with this one and just might keep her for myself!

Most of them will be on sale at the Quinlan Art Doll and Teddy Bear Convention in Philadelphia on Saturday May 2, 2015.  If you are interested in finding out more about the convention click on the following link

http://www.quinlanmuseum.com/convention/agenda-details.html

 I am also teaching a class at the same convention on Thursday April 30^th on how to needle sculpt and use watercolors to create a cloth doll head.  Information to sign up for the class can be found by clicking on the same link.

I also wanted to share that I have been interviewed by my good friend Maria for a blog post on Greene Earth Originals.  If you are interested in reading the article and seeing some more pictures of my dolls you can click on the link here

http://greeneearthoriginals.blogspot.com/

If you sign up for her newsletter she will give you a free mixed media tutorial.  Pretty awesome right?

And last but not least, I am getting ready to teach Claudette:  A Cage Doll online class on A for Artistic starting March 30^th.  You can find out more about the class by clicking on the link here

http://www.aforartistic.com/claudette-a-cage-doll-marla-l-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html

Claudette: A Cage Doll

I just wanted to share that I will be teaching a new online class,  Claudette:  A Cage Doll, on A for Artistic starting March 31.   If you are interested in more information click on the link to the class

http://www.aforartistic.com/classes/open-classes/claudette-a-cage-doll-marla-l-niederer-cloth-doll-artist.html