Dolls have always been a part of my world. My grandmother loved dolls and shared that love with me. She also taught me to sew. In 2003 I discovered Akira Blount’s dolls in a magazine and was captivated. A few months later, I attended one of her workshops and came home inspired, renewed and excited to start my journey into the art-doll world.

For the first several years, I made dolls entirely of cloth. But after taking sculpting workshops with other NIADA artists, I began to create paperclay sculptures, as well. I now make dolls in all cloth, all paperclay or a mix of the two. I design and make the costumes, and take photos of my dolls—a critical part of the process and important as the final step. I find that the photo is the best interpretation of the doll, and the photos serve as an ongoing record of my work. I am inspired by the painters Amedeo Modigliani, Sergey Smirnov and Slava Fokk, as well as other artists, and by fashion (especially Alexander McQueen). I love the challenge of transforming a drawing into a three-dimensional piece.

I love the hunt for the right fabric. I love when the soul of the doll finally emerges; I am always moved when someone expresses how one of my dolls has spoken to them. For me, being a member of NIADA represents the achievement of creating a body of work that stands above the ordinary.