Miss Scarlett!
Showing posts with label scarlett o hara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scarlett o hara. Show all posts
My Glass Menagerie
My doll collection, albeit small, is confined mostly to Gone with the Wind (purchases dictated and limited by space). Somehow, this idea of miniature things remind me of another work of literature, Tennessee Williams' Glass Menagerie. The story of escape through a collection of glass crystals by a young crippled girl who lives through them. Unable to live with the world (crippled); her feminine allure disabled. The doll collection is my "Glass Menagerie". It is my escape from the real world and it is also that which helps me cope with it. At the end of the day, nothing is more comforting than to take each doll in your hand, repaint, restyle, photograph and immortalize them in a portrait. You might be saying: "Oh c'mon get a life!" But by whose standards do we "get a life"? I have kept this collection almost a secret only known to those nearest me and to you, whoever is reading this blog. The truth is our lives are our own. We should stop living them by the standards of others but our own, that which makes us complete and happy. In that we cannot be judged nor looked down upon.
Had it been photography or some other hobby, others would have accepted, but doll collecting for a man can often border on sissiness and silly-ness. Oh I've received weird looks whenever I speak of it. "Oh there he goes again buying another doll" kind of a look. It is not ours to make others accept who we are. My belief is, whatever makes us positively happy, makes us complete. No one in life and in this world has the right to take away that state.
We all have our glass menageries, our little collection. Tennessee Williams speaks of a girl whose future is dictated by the obsessive dreams of her mother for her to be wed, as it was in the past. Laura is crippled and perhaps so is her future, if she allows being crippled to be an impediment.
In a world that thinks less of a physical, mental or psychological disability, a glass menagerie can be therapeautic. In this case, my dolls have saved me from many a stressful and crippling moments big and small. Though not made of glass, they are as fragile as hope.
DOLL PORTRAITS: Tonner Gone with the Wind Scarlett O' Hara doll Repainted
The white gown you see in the previous posts worn by the Tonner Scarlett doll is inspired by the Bette Davis movie "Jezebel" and was recreated by Alana Bennett (www. dollfashionsbyalana.com). Alana is a talented doll seamstress who has done fashions from Gone with the Wind, Titanic and whatever you can possible think of.
The blue lace gown is another piece done by Alana. We thought of doing this gown from the TV Series "Scarlett". She not only added the gloves, she gave me pantalets, hooped skirt and a nice night purse to go with this outfit.
The Pink ensemble is the "Trip to Saratoga" outfit by Tonner worn by the doll which has been repainted. The purple dress is Tonner's "In the Mist" doll for their GWTW collection. I thought of putting the doll against the sad backdrop of Tara.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
A little hobby
Dolls. My little hobby is repainting dolls - specifically, Gone With the Wind-inspired dolls. The photos you see are from my collection. Originally Tonner GWTW dolls (save for the Franklin Mint Scarlett doll in red skirt), their factory paint had been erased (with much effort) and their new faces repainted following the features of actress, Vivien Leigh. The doll outfits are re-creations of Walter Plunkett's GWTW designs: The white layered dress from the beginning of the movie, the "Mill" dress (in b/w) and the glorious red gown worn by Scarlett when she is forced to go to Ashley's birthday party. The features are painted with great attention to detail although I feel they are amateurishly done. The hairstyles (black and white photo and red gown) have been re-created too following the hairstyles done by Sydney Guilaroff (GWTW hairstylist). I am inspired by Noel Cruz doll repaints (see his at ncruz.com). I believe he is the best in the world!
Repainting a doll is similar to repainting action figures. Only here, one involves hairstyling. Using a brush as small as 20/0 and acrylic paint, the repainting is done with layers to achieve a fully blended and contoured look for the doll.