Ruth Treffeisen

Last week-end I treated myself to a porcelain doll workshop. Ruth Treffeisen, a wonderful German contemporary doll artist was offering a two day workshop to construct a reproduction doll from one of her moulds.


We had to scrub the uncooked porcelain, then wait for it to be fired at 1200° celsius for a night. The next steps included painting the face and cooking the face again, stuffing the body and attaching it to arms and legs, then assembling the face to the neck piece, adding the glass eyes, a carton on top of the head and a wig, et voilà !

Uncooked porcelain

Inside the head ; the glass eyes are plastered on

Painted face with cardboard top waiting for the wig

Finished doll

Artist Ruth Treffeisen in her workshop

See this blog for a step by step explanation of the construction of a porcelain doll.

Follow your heart

Church of Ternand, France (c) Christophe Renoux

Angel selfie.

Mignonnette

Mignonnette from late 19 th century seen on Ebay

Last week-end I attended an antique toys market. The idea was to watch old automatas and dolls and figure out how they were made.

I don't know why I always feel the urge to do things the old way, and avoid low quality and short cuts. I had actually seen in many books including Susanna Oroyan's books that a classic solution for moving arms and legs is the insert of buttons. However as I had never seen such dolls, I didn't like it.

However in the toy market I saw dolls from late 19th century and beginning of 20th century and it was an eye opener ; the small models have metallic threads going though the body, arms and legs, many models are mixed pocerlain and wood, textile or papier maché, and what's more the head is open with the hair being glued unto something that looks like cardboard or cork ! Hurray, many of my questions have been answered !

Only problem is I fell in love with some of the tiny dolls - and starting price is... 250 euros. The one I really loved costs 800 euros. I really have to get up to speed and do my own !

Here is an article in Engilsh on the subject :
http://www.poupendol.com/pocketdolls.html

Medecine dolls - more inspiration

Here is more visual inspiration for dolls and automatas.

George Harrison by Felt Mistress

Creation by Felt Mistress

Felt Mistress makes fabulous characters. I like the zany look, and the fact that she doesn't care about being anatomically correct.

You can see her work on her website and blog. And there is a nice article about her on Creative Review. 

For automatas, another interesting website is The British Toymakers Guild which links to a few automatas artists. 

Watching the Girls by Robert Race

I love them all, but I must say I have a soft sport for the works of Robert  Race. I love the way he is using drift wood and neutral colours to make his automatas, which reminds me of the sculptures and fetishes I saw many years ago in the Musée d'Afrique et d'Océanie of Paris (now closed). He is mixing in his work inspiration from toys and tribal art, and it gives them a magic feel. I can just imagine how the character on the left wriggles his moustaches :o)

              

Moon Priest by Robert Race

Here a few other website if you enjoy automatas :

http://www.cabaret.co.uk/blog/

This is a great blog. They also publish a book about mechanism that is realy nice and esay to read.

http://www.robives.com/

Rob Ives designs many paper automatas and you can download them, some are free, and if you pay a subcsciption to the website you can download all the projects and a book about automatas.

http://paperpino.net/

Another paper automatas website. A nice peace dove to download.

http://manivelles.unblog.fr/

http://lezardmecanique.blogspot.fr/

Quote of the day

"They who in trouble untroubled are

Will trouble trouble itself."

Thiruvalluvar, Tirukkural, Verse LXIII.3

Vaste progamme :o)

Hidden friends

Theodora, San Vitale, Ravenna

When I was a child I was given a poster of Empress Theodora. For years she stared at me from over my bed. It didn't always feel comfortable, such a weird gaze, but sometimes it made me feel good or it sent me into long daydreams. It was my mother who gave me this picture, saying very little but with much intensity. I just knew it was a precious gift.

And so this summer, we visited Ravenna and saw the original mosaics. I insisted on that. Funnily enough, everybody enjoyed the visit of the Basilica San Vitale and the mausoleum nearby. In the Basilica, I found many red, black and white tiles. An interesting website with many photos is here.

My pictures of the floor of Basilica San Vitale, Ravenna

A few moment ago, I followed a link suggested by my friend Tally and suddenly found a story of Theodora's life (longer version here). A truly wonderful lady. I'm amazed that my mother casually gave me a feminist (christian) icon with many jewels to put in the traditional place of the crucifix.

Isn't it strange how we are surrounded by hidden friends all the time ? If we manage to stop the noise inside and outside just for a moment, then we start to hear their voices...

And from a textile point of view I am amused to hear that in her time, the Blues and the Greens were fighting each other :o)

Family celebration, 2006

Today the Dalai Lama arrived in France for a 12 days visit. There is a lot of political chit-chat around this visit, since the French President won't meet him and so on. But anyways, I am very happy and moved that he is in my country. All the more so since tonight he is staying with a buddhist community that lives a mile or so from my parents' home, and will give a blessing there tomorrow morning. I will be working in the finance quarter of Paris tomorrow, but I will be thinking of him just like now.

May Peace be with you ! Many blessings to all of you.

Rock engraving in Fontainebleau forest cave

Art exhibitions

Hilma af Klint, Tree of life n°5 (c) The Hilma af Klint Foundation

This week I have had the chance to discover two wonderful exhibitions.

One was centered around Hilma af Klint. Considered to be one of the first abstract painters, she painted classical landscapes and portraits for a living, but secretly painted abstracts, under the inspiration of Spirits. Her abstract paintings were revealed to the public 40 years after her death in 1986. She uses a lot of colours and geometrical figures, circles, spirals, triangles... More here.

Peter Doig, Milky Way, (c) courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro Gallery

The other was about Peter Doig. A contemporary artist, he paints a lot of strange landscapes. Watching his work, I had the impression of seing spiritual messages everywhere, as if the landscapes and figures were distorted because seen through the eyes of the soul rather than the physical eyes. I fell in love with "Milky Way" (above) and "Grand Riviere" in which there is a white horse and... ravens ?

More on the artist here (Tate Britain).

Lazy Sunday

Crédits : 1. La maison rose de la Butte Montmartre, 2. Feuilles, 3. café crème

It has been a very lazy Sunday for me, although I managed to finish a spirit doll called Dream Girl but can't show her off because my camera is travelling around Germany this week.

I have been looking for bead inspiration on the web and found Svetlana's wonderful blog which in turn lead me to this : Tatiana Ekimova's incredible collection for the 2007 Odessa Fashion Show ! Correction on the previous meme ; if I had a lot of money, I'd definitely buy this dress ! And I'd wear it.

Traces du Sacré

Yesterday we went to see the exhibition "Traces du Sacré", an exploration of the relations between art and spirituality in the 20th Century.

Many beautiful paintings were to be seen. I was moved in particular by paintings from the US psychedelic art movement. There were two major painting by Isaac Abrams : All Things are OneThing and Flying Leap.

(c) Isaac Abrams - All Things are One Thing

(c) Isaac Abrams - Flying Leap

And also by the famous Franz Marc painting :

(c) Franz Marc - Horse in a Landscape (1910)

Be your note

Thank you all for your kind comments on my Indian posts. As you may have guessed, I am still a little disturbed by my trip, as I have discovered myself from a totally different and unexpected angle. I dream of India every night, and amusing synchronicities keep popping up. For instance yesterday, as I was meditating on the wound-that-opened-again and how to close it, I received this wonderful poem via a newsletter :

God picks up the reed flute world and blows.
Each note is a need coming through one of us,
a passion, a longing-pain.
Remember the lips
where the wind-breath originated,
and let your note be clear.
Don't try to end it.
Be your note.
-- Jalalludin Rumi

I had to smile.

South Indian Temples

Shiva Nataraja temple, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu

Entering a Hindu temple is quite an experience. From the outside, it is often a very high and colourful building, whith so many sculptures it makes your head spin.

Rameshawaram corridor

As you approach the center of the temple through very large and high corridors, you leave the light of day behind you and immerse yourself more in more into the darkness. It is cool inside, and very peaceful. You might hear mantras or people singing and laughing. It is not permitted to take pictures in the temple so you'll have to use your imagination for most of what follows....

Ganesha, Thanjavur

Shiva, Thanjavur

Everywhere there are amazing sculptures, some of which are smothered in ghee (clarified butter), ash and sacred powders, some of which wear clothes, some of which are adorned with food and flowers. I remember vividly a sculpture of a couple on a pillar in Chidambaram ; the man tall and tenderly protective, the woman smaller and all in sensuous curves, the man had his hand under the woman's chin and somebody had placed a few raisins there. A very moving picture.

Praying in Madurai (c) Claude Renault

Devotees are everywhere, some stay standing, others kneel, a few lie on the floor to show their absolute worship. Some shave their hair and give them away to the temple.

The central shrine is generally not visible to non-Hindus. It is a small dark cave in which a representation of the God is placed (often a lingam and a yoni). Lots of candles are lit. The doors of the shrine are only open a few hours a day. Fire and water always present.

After receiving darshan (benediction), devotees are given a little spicy milk to drink from their cupped right hand. All in all there is a powerful smell of milk and butter that reminds the sweet sour smell of young babys. Therefore it feels a little like being in your mother's womb again.

Theyyam (c) Claude Renault

In some temples in Kerala region there are trance dancing performances known as Theyyatam at certain times of the year.

All in all something very powerful can be felt there. On my first visit to a temple, I simply cried. Later, I understood that at least in India, God certainly exists. You can see it in the shiny eyes of the people .

Houses

While in Tamil Nadu, I fell in love with the old houses. They often have terraces on which people can sleep on hot nights. There is often a palm tree roof or a palm tree room on the terrace.

Doors are decorated at the bottom with yellow and red paint, which is supposed to be auspicious, and above them the God of the house is sculpted ; you might find a heart for a Christian, a David star for a Jew, an elephant for a Hindu etc...

Each day, women wake up early to prepare breakfast and clean the house. When they have finished they draw lucky kolams in front of their doors. Traditionnally these were made using rice flour to feed insects and birds, nowadays people use chalk or paint.

I learnt a lot about these houses in the superb Dakshina Chitra village museum, and wandering through Pondicherry's streets on foot.

From India with love

Kundalini

Thinking back on my Indian experience, I am convinced that most of what I lived was happening not in the ordinary reality but rather in dreamland or on the archetypal level. Ordinary reality, that kept me firmly grounded, was great physical discomfort and long driving hours with a maddening driver. At the same time I experienced many emotions and insights that cannot really be explained by what I saw or did. Well, I suppose I can see Coyote's paw in my everyday miseries leading to insights. I think it is just possible that one of my chakras opened up in the bargain - while I was in the jungle.

Anyways, while in India it came to me that this country is probably a Paradise for trees. There are trees everywhere, incredibly healthy and green, even when it doesnt't rain, plus many trees are sacred in India. Just have a look at these beauties...

Tree on the side of the road, Tamil Nadu. They all wear numbers for some reason.

Trees in Pondicherry's French quarter

Tea trees near Munnar, Kerala

Sacred tree inside Thanjavur's temple, Tamil Nadu

Tree spirit in Thanjavur's temple

Sacred tree hidden near the beach of Rameshwaram.

TIF March

For the month of March, Sharon B has asked us to do as piece using the above palette or the following theme : "Do you ever notice the little things, the small moments, the details in life? This months challenge is to do just that, pay attention to the tiny details. Sometimes the small things become emblematic for something larger."

For me details are linked to spirituality, sense of humour and life itself. To notice details, you have to be aware of what is going on around you and inside you, you have to practice attention, which is a classic spiritual/meditative exercise.

It is life and fun, because often a detail is something you notice because it is unusual, unpredictable. For instance a plant growing in a pavement crack, an weird cloud, a strange insect. Or, as in the classic Robert Frost poem, a grassy road. On gloomy days I have often had my spirits lifted by tiny details, I even used to visit open air markets just to get a whiff of life as a teenager.

Details for me are also representations of the individual against the group, something that stands out, something that you use to stand out too, as in fashion... and art. Detail is probably what transforms something into art.

(c) Yayoi Kusama 2004, Naoshima Island, Japan

The other night I was watching a documentary about fashion icon Marc Jacobs (VOD available here), and they were talking about japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. She has been fascinated by dots since she was ten, and has made dotted art ever since. It's wonderful and I think she illustrated well the theme of details taken to a very large scope, have a look at her biographic slide show on her website here to judge by yourself.

So my piece will probably be around fashion...

3'50" of activism - we can change the World

Spirit of Christmas

I know many people feel sad or uncomfortable at this time of year. I love Christmas but feel pessimistic about mankind in general.

Christmas is also the time of year when we celebrate the longest night in the year, and the return of light. Therefore it is a time when we can concentrate on our inner lights... just like Dalaï Lama.

May you and your loved ones experience serenity, love and warmth during the Holidays !