VERA FOX-BOND from LaVergne, Tennessee Fourth Bi-Annual 2009 ALL DOLLED UP: BEADED ART DOLL COMPETITION Theme: Earthen Mother Return to the web-page displaying all 6 semi-finalists and overall results

Doll named Ta Dah Vera's doll is for sale through The Open Window Gallery $2500.00 615-292-0610 [Please be patient - These pages are graphics intensive and will load slowly] After reviewing the Beaded Art Doll Images on this page, and reading the artist's stories, materials list, and summary of techniques, VOTE & EVALUATE See the overall Results When voting closes 1/15/10, voting logs will be reviewed for any duplicate or otherwise illegitimate votes (for example, those from the same IP or email address), and these will be deleted. The on-line votes will be tallied and used to adjust the original votes of the Panel of Judges at CBJA, in the selection of a winner. The public's votes will weigh towards 25% of the final tally in selecting the Winner and Runner-Up.

Frontal Image
14" Head to Toe

TA DAH's Story

"The mirror reflects more than my hands can feel.
Lines, edges, shadings, a weariness under the eyes, an awkward stance.
Yet, not reflected is a certain vibrancy --
a compassion and wisdom and wonder so many people rely on.
Only you, my beaded art doll,
capture the fullness of me as I age in place .
You embody changes I want to make, so I aptly name you…"

TA DAH.

I shall tell my story through TA DAH or TA for short. TA had been to the beauty shop for a new perm and the latest gossip. Her curls turned out to be a bit much and she stepped on bubble gum on her way to the car.

What a day! Upon arriving home, TA looked in the bathroom mirror at her new do and the mirror changed her life and mine forever.

While looking at the faint outline of her younger slimmer chin sitting on her older fuller chin, it suddently came to TA....That's not me out there, I'm in here. What people see of me isn't the real me, the real me is inside this body.

Then the question TA had asked all her life was answered with thoughts and pictures drifting from her image in the mirror to her real being inside the body. TA enjoyed all the beauty of nature and art. She should wear nature's wonderful colors and images, forget about the dress appropriately for your age thing.

Forget about acting her age. TA should spend the rest of her life making beautiful things and sharing her knowledge with others, her attention was drawn to how art in all its forms, could make the earth a happier more inspiring place, make people happy, educate them. How simple things and actions could make the earth a greener and healthier environment for generations to come.

TA has raised children, pets, flowers, veggies. Painted pictures, made quilts, clothes and dolls. She has lived many years and has more to go. When the younger generation is sorting their cans and plastics they should remember something else that's very important to recycle -- the older generation's wisdom. TA knows about rain barrels, compost in the garden and hanging clothes on a line in the yard. Waste free health eating and home remedies. TA can recycle lots of wisdom on how to live a good and peaceful life... she knows it's better to be kind than always be right about things. As with all the older folks TA can recycle the family history as well as the history of many other families you know.

The dog barked and TA came to her self, her real self that is, and spread out her arms with a huge smile and a twinkle in her eyes and yelled,

"TA DAH"

...announcing the new me! I am useful, I can do many things, I have valuable knowledge! I shall never dress in drab colors again, from now on it's clothes the color of rainbows and flowers. Polka dots, stripes and maybe mismatched socks, maybe not. I shall make beautiful things, that is my purpose, that is why I am here.

I guess the moral of this story is ...don't discard the older things of this world as they contain their own kind of beauty, wisdom and peacefulness. Recycle an old gold mine....grandparents. you will be all the richer for it.

Side Image

Back Image

Detailed Image

(rotation)

List of Materials
and Techniques Employed

Dimensions:
14 inches from top of hair to sole of shoes
10 1/2 inch waist
3 inches thick from front to back

Construction Techniques:
I drew the doll pattern on paper towel and old ex-ray film, traced around pattern pieces, cut them out and stitched the body up on the sewing maching, leaving openings to stuff body with Poly Fill and attach hands at wrists.

Sculpted hands of Polymer clay including fingernail and palm markings, giving her a long life line and an interesting life. Dimples at the base of fingers. Hole in each wrist to attach to doll with needle and thread. Nail polish after baking hands in oven. Hands slipped into body arm openings and attached with needle and thread going through holes in wrists.

Doll stuffed and openings closed, then pointed wooden stick pushed down through top of head, through neck and into upper body. Legs attached with button hinges after entire doll and legs beaded.

Materials List:
cotton fabric
Poly Fill stuffing
seed beads
delica beads
assorted beads and sizes
two buttons for leg joints
one small dragonfly on shoe sole
two sculpted polymer clas hands and nail polish
thread, fireline, nymo and spider wire to hinge legs
one wooden stick in neck.

Techniques:
Stitches used: peyote, square stitch, back stitch, cobble stitch, netting and loops.

VERA FOX-BOND
from LaVergne, Tennessee

Doll named
Ta Dah
[Please be patient - These pages are graphics intensive and will load slowly]

After reviewing the Beaded Art Doll Images on this page, and reading the artist's stories, materials list, and summary of techniques,

VOTE & EVALUATE

See the overall Results


When voting closes 1/15/10, voting logs will be reviewed for any duplicate or otherwise illegitimate votes (for example, those from the same IP or email address), and these will be deleted. The on-line votes will be tallied and used to adjust the original votes of the Panel of Judges at CBJA, in the selection of a winner. The public's votes will weigh towards 25% of the final tally in selecting the Winner and Runner-Up.