PL Deaton Designs

GOODBYE EBAY, HELLO ETSY!!

2012-01-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

First dolls of 2012 now available on ETSY!

My 5 year relationship with ebay has come to a close for the most part. I have become very disenchanted with their policies and the way the site has changed over the years to cater more to larger businesses which shut the little guy out. Etsy has impressed me though it will be a challenge to get established in a new venue. I am looking forward to new opportunities through Etsy and to supporting a site that believes in handmade items created by us "little guys". I am looking at 2012 not as an ending but as the beginning of a new era. May it be the beginning of a new era for you also!

A New Year

2012-01-01T17:29:00.001-05:00

Midnight came and went while we were snoozing peacefully in our snug bed. We had no clue as to the passing of that fleeting moment of old turning into new. Ten years ago, we never would have let that magic hour come and go without ringing it in joyfully. And now the serenity of quiet hearth and home wins out as does the call to slumber at a reasonable hour. I came across some quotes that are quite befitting this changing of the year.

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to. ~Bill Vaughn

Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits. ~Author Unknown

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. ~Author Unknown

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

May the next twelve months bring you more joy than sorrow and abundant blessings and wisdom to handle all that 2012 throws your way.

Holiday Season Greetings

2011-12-09T06:58:00.001-05:00

Well, Summer is long gone, Autumn tip-toed by and Winter is surely here. Where does time go??? Lady Elizabeth Mews and her tomcat Peyton finally came to full creation and are now listed on ebay. I will also be listing a little elf named Chester and some twinkling star ornaments this weekend. Everyone have a happy holiday and don't let time fleet by so quickly that you miss the enjoyment.

I can't believe that summer is winding down already!!

2011-08-03T10:26:00.000-04:00

August 1st has passed and school begins in less than 2 weeks now. It never ceases to amaze me how time continually speeds up with each passing year. My installation at the Indianapolis Art Center came down Monday with immense praise and success on a unique exhibit. I sold two figures that will now reside in an office in downtown Indianapolis thanks to a wonderful collector.

Many of my small creations are in process and will be available on Etsy and ebay in the near future. Here is a sneak preview of how they are coming along, keep in mind that they are not "dressed" yet....

Going from large to small

2011-07-19T12:12:00.000-04:00

As the smothering heat intensifies outdoors, I am taking refuge in my air conditioned studio. We are trying to be conservative by shutting the ac off at night and not turning it on again until around 11am since our house cools off at night. My lilies and cone flowers are in desperate need of rain as I am sure many others are. Until we get a break from this heat, I am thankful for an air conditioned studio!
I am focusing better on "working small" again. My life size installation at the Indianapolis Art Center is a success and it doesn't come down until August 1st, so that buys me some time to focus on dolls.
I have five dolls in progress right now, each in a different stage. I am playing with a design for a doll that sits (I know that doesn't sound difficult but I like to be different so I am trying to come up with a way to use my canvas base and that is a challenge). My latest doll on ebay is larger and more colorful than the last one and she has two very loyal cats to accompany her. I really like the aristocratic design and I plan on creating many more. I am going to fade out my listings on ebay over the next couple of months and move to using Etsy more. I feel like ebay is becoming way too commercialized and not as artist friendly. Well enough typing, time to get back to creating!!

Latest Creation: Baroness Bianca Felin Amour

2011-06-23T16:58:00.000-04:00

My installation is up and my creative energies are flowing once again in the direction of smaller works of art. I have made a few changes in design by adding more layers of painted canvas to the bodice to create a fuller gown with sleeves and collar. And of course, since she is a cat lover, she is accompanied by her feline friend Bartholamew. He is a bit on the crazy side which causes Bianca more than just a little exasperation. Bartholamew likes to climb her velvet curtains and to use her favorite mahogany writing desk as a scratching post. Bartholamew is not pictured here but you can see him on ebay beginning tonight. Just click on my listing ad at the bottom of the blog.

June Installation work

2011-06-09T10:38:00.000-04:00

My doll offerings thus far this year have been sparse due to the fact that I am working on an installation for the Indianapolis Art Center. The installation opening will be June 10, 2011 and the work will be on display until July 31st. I took this photo after we finished setting up the installation yesterday. More information on my installation work can be viewed at stonepaperstudio.blogspot.com

Spring dolls

2011-06-09T10:29:00.000-04:00

Rudolphus the Red Nose Reindeer

2010-12-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

I almost decided not to sell this piece! He is so adorable.
Rudolphus is a paper mache candy container. You have to watch
him though, he loves chocolate and is innocently sneaky.
He just can't help himself. And he is so cute that he
usually gets away with eating whatever he wants!

Sneaky Holidays

2010-11-30T17:46:00.000-05:00

While I have been busy creating sisters and cats and girls with balloons, the holiday season has quickly crept up behind me. It is peeking over my shoulder right now and I can't believe that I thought I had more time!! This seems to happen to me every year. So I do have new creations to show you but no holiday offerings completed yet. I hope the holidays are kind to you and do not catch you off your guard!

Newest Etsy Offerings

2010-10-30T19:22:00.001-04:00

Work in Progress........

2010-10-30T16:47:00.000-04:00

My work table is full of little creations in the birthing process, not yet sure who they will become. So many sibling personalities to develop. And the time is flying by! The end of October is upon us and the hands on my clock seem to be spinning faster each day (it does this up until Christmas and then it drags slower until spring!!). Most of my new creations will be listed in my etsy shop over the next few weeks. Please stop in to see my latest dolls!

New on Etsy for Halloween

2010-09-25T12:22:00.001-04:00

I decided to create some little cuties for the October season. They each hold a halloweeny balloon that is removable.

The First of Two Halloween Offerings on Ebay

2010-09-25T11:58:00.000-04:00

This pair of sisters can be a little odd. Instead of being afraid of scary things they actually prefer them. Here is their story:

Sister’s Haunted House

Tuesday and Wednesday are somewhat creepy by nature
Their favorite pets are two bats and a one eyed alligator.
Their haunted playhouse is quirky and creaky and weird
It is filled with freaky things that keep them quite scared.
Tuesday loves her balcony where she croakingly croons
As the haunted playhouse sways being pulled by the moon.
Wednesday and Tuesday love nights most of all
Especially combined with the cool chill of fall.
These two strange sisters have oodles of fun
Keeping all of their friends and foes on the run!

Two Sisters and a Hobby Horse

2010-09-25T11:49:00.000-04:00

Desdemona, Helena (and Charles) are an one of my latest creations. These two sisters get along great until they have to share Charles (the hobby horse) and that causes problems. Most siblings have that specific toy that they both want to play with but there just happens to be only ONE. So a conflict erupts that shakes the world (unless one sibling is a lot bigger than the other!)
This trio went to a wonderful home up in Connecticut just recently.

Little Brother

2010-08-29T15:10:00.000-04:00

I am the oldest in my family and boy was it rough. I have two younger sisters and one younger brother. My little brother was born 2 years after me so we were the only two for awhile. We fought over everything including our parents attention. He was my mom's favorite therefore he had to bare the brunt of my jealousy. I bossed him and loved him. I terrorized him and laughed with him. I picked on him and he picked on me. We played together and fought with one another. Even though he would make me downright angry quite often, I would never let anybody else pick on him. They would have to get through me first. Into adulthood we grew steadily apart but I would never trade growing up with a little brother for anything in this world!

Rosalind and Roscoe

2010-08-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

I used to wish that I was an only child from time to time as I was growing up. (What child with siblings didn't!) I would not have had to share my toys, or the ice cream, or the television. All of the fights and hair pulling that could have been avoided. Our furry cat and cute little dog would have been mine alone. But growing older I realized that I was really fortunate to have brothers and sisters in my life. Otherwise I would have missed out on a lot of laughter, companionship, and midnight stories. Growing up would have been pretty boring without them. Being an only child can have its advantages, but I am glad that I was not one!

Big Sister

2010-07-29T15:18:00.000-04:00

I was 12 when my baby sister was born. I used to carry her around like a doll baby and spoil her and coddle her. Caring for my little sis was great as long as she was being good. Feeding her was cool but changing diapers was a whole other story.
That's when she became mum's baby again and big sis took a break!

Romey and Riley's Traveling House

2010-07-15T16:46:00.000-04:00

Romey and Riley thought they were bored

So while mummy was gardening and papa snored,

They raided the pantry and cleaned out their room;

Grabbed their clock and books and dress up costumes.

Tip toeing quietly they snuck out the side door

Then ran so fast they made their feet sore.

They took papa’s motorcar and disassembled the parts

(these sisters were definitely using their smarts).

They put wheels on their playhouse and an engine inside

And their traveling house was now ready to ride!

I really enjoyed creating this quirky pair of sisters and their off kilter house. I have a little red riding hood, a mermaid, a star rider, and three other art dolls in progress right now so there is plenty to keep me very busy.

Etsy store is up and running...

2010-07-02T12:56:00.000-04:00

After working out some minor quirks (I'm a tad of a perfectionist!), my Etsy store is finally open. Here is a sampling of a few 'one of a kind' items in the store right now, with more to follow. I hope to have my larger art dolls available in the store by August 2010.

Peculiar Twins

2010-06-24T12:17:00.000-04:00

Abby and Gabby are peculiar twin girls.
They chewed on their hair so mum cut off their curls.

They wear identical outfits with odd matching hats.
They share one dinky wagon for their two spot eyed cats.

They have trouble deciding one thing or another,
Like which way and when, this, that or the other.

They don’t get the giggles or share silly grins.
Its just that Gabby and Abby are peculiar twins.

Alice Pretends Wonderland

2010-06-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

Mary Alice Catherine got bored one blustery day.
So into her attic she went to find something with which to play.

She spied Papa’s pink flamingo standing dusty by the dormer,
And a silly grinning stuffed kitty, upside down, tossed in the corner.

Auntie Merriweather’s teacup was a superior find,
Its face was a little unnerving but Alice did not mind.

She gathered all of her treasures and off to play, she ran.
Alice was to have an adventure, she would call it wonderland.

Three Sisters

2010-04-21T17:16:00.000-04:00

I have become infatuated with the interactions and relationships between siblings. And I have begun to incorporate small tidbits of these interactions into some of my dolls. I feel a need to give my dolls unique personalities and quirky dispositions. They definitely make me grin when I look at them and think about the conversations I imagine them having with one another. Well, since I am not much of a writer I think I will get back to the studio to express myself visually. Oh yeah, I had some exciting news the other week. The Indianapolis Art Center contacted me to do a solo gallery installation for June 2011. I am so excited!!!! I get to reenter the gallery scene, what a blessing! Now all I have to do is create enough work to fill a gallery. I love the adrenaline rush of having a deadline!

Newest creations

2010-03-31T12:04:00.000-04:00

Zarafa and Atira

2010-02-16T11:06:00.000-05:00

I have developed a fetish for long necks over the last couple of months. With wire inserted into the neck, a turn or cocking of a head creates such wonderful personality. Even Zarafa the giraffe can turn his head but I forgot to demonstrate this trait when I did the photo shoot for my ebay listing. Oh well, must have had too much on my mind at the time. It's time to get back to work, I have a long neck elephant to paint!

Wilhelmina and her Cat Wagon

2010-02-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

I just love cats, even though I am very allergic to them. We have outdoor cats that do a really fine job of keeping the mice population at bay. Our cats have very loving personalities and adore being stroked (surprising huh!).

Observing his new world

2010-02-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

This is Koen, our latest addition to the Deaton grandchildren. I took this photo about 20 minutes after he was born. He seems to be a very inquisitive and studious little fellow already and we love him dearly. Both mom and baby are doing wonderfully.

It's February Already?!?

2010-02-01T06:40:00.000-05:00

WHOA!!!!! Where did January go??? I feel like I just lost an entire month. Must have been the Christmas Chaos and not taking down the Christmas tree yet. Yes you read correctly, we still have not taken down the tree. We are trying a little psychological experiment to see if leaving the tree up will help to ward off seasonal depression. So far it seems to help. Sure made January fly by.

I have quite a bit of "art in progress" but the final completion of things is a bit slow. I find myself having difficulty settling on one particular definite style for any length of time. I never had this problem with my large gallery installation work. That work was always cohesive and flowed with a unity that I am fighting for now with my small creations. I love each individual piece that I create but I feel a tad ADHD about the body of work. Making dolls is not an easy thing especially when you strive to create something really different and unique. With my artwork, I have always pushed to create things that have not been done before. I created my own paper clay recipe in grad school and I still use it to this day. I love the stuff and have never found anything like it.

I feel myself starting to get the itch to reenter the gallery scene again. I am starting the imagining process for a body of work but that will have to brew for a little while. In the meantime, I really love creating "dolls" but really I don't look at them as "dolls". They are small figurative sculptures with personality.

We have our last grandbaby due here in a week (that makes four in the last 6 months). It looks like we will have a long break for a while after this one. That will give us a total of 7 grandchildren. What blessings!!!

2009-12-09T07:38:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that Christmas is almost here, where in the world did the time go??!!! This adorable pair is the first of a small Christmas series that I am putting together. The unfinished Angel wands should be listed in a day or two. Hope everyone has a peaceful holiday season!

2009-12-09T07:18:00.000-05:00

The Owl and the Pussycat

2009-12-01T22:20:00.000-05:00

This pair recently flew off to their new home in Austin, Texas.
I will miss them. The owl, pussycat, and I struggled through
quite a few repaints before finding the design that we all were
happy with. But as you can see, I think the struggle was
worth it!

Last skeleton of the season!

2009-10-26T17:47:00.000-04:00

This wee one has to be my absolute favorite creation so far. She is scary and sweet at the same time. She will be for sale on ebay until October 31. After that, she will be settling her bones in a new home!

New work

2009-10-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

I've been rather absent from the blogosphere lately. I tend to get too distracted by other things (like creating artwork) and I forget to update. And with sooo many children there are bound to be crazy things happening that cause me to get my panties in a bunch (as my granny used to say). It is really too bad that children cannot listen to their parents advice, especially if we've "been there and done that" and
IT DOESN'T WORK!!! Thank the good Lord above that creating art takes my mind off of everything. Here is just a sampling of some of the latest.

2009-08-23T16:24:00.000-04:00

New Grand Babies

2009-08-23T16:19:00.000-04:00

Where has the summer gone?? Was it even here?! This month has been extremely hectic and very rewarding since the new grandbabies have arrived. Natalie Elizabeth made her entrance on the afternoon of August 1st. She weighed in at 7lbs. 15 oz. with a head of golden brown hair. Haiden Keith made his debut on the afternoon of August 3rd. He weighed in at 6lbs. 15 oz. and he also had quite a head of hair. Both young-uns are doing great and growing mighty fast and keeping us all very busy.

Our Family Collage

2009-08-06T09:49:00.000-04:00

2009-08-06T09:21:00.000-04:00

2009-07-21T16:21:00.000-04:00

Little Miss Muffet

2009-07-21T15:50:00.000-04:00

Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet
eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider and sat down beside her
and he took her spoon away.
She pulled her bowl near, not out of fear
but because she was not going to share.
The spider said "please", he got down on his knees,
And Muffet said "don't you dare!"
Spider batted his eyes and to Muffet's surprise,
She felt her resolve give way.
She said "Oh dear", come over here,
and she shared her curds and whey.

Sprouting like weeds

2009-07-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

The grandbabies arrived from Alaska in May and have adjusted pretty well to the climate down here in the Midwest. Mom (Our eldest daughter)and Dad are in the Air Force and just got transferred to a base just an hour away from us. They all have been battling colds and little viruses and coughs (the germs are different down here from the ones in Alaska). Julia is 5 and Zack is 2 and together they are quite a wonderful handful. Our other grandson Noah (also 5) is not sure he likes sharing our attention. He and Julia are slowly becoming friends. We have four more grandbabies due between now and February. So the next 7 months should be very exciting! My husband said that our family is starting to sprout like weeds!

Grandbabies from Alaska (and Noah)

2009-07-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

2009-07-15T13:36:00.000-04:00

Gulf Coast Mermaid

2009-06-17T11:17:00.000-04:00

This little beauty has taken me a while to create. I wanted a different twist on a mermaid, so I did some research and came up with some different kinds of designs. This "Gulf Coast sea-maid" was inspired by our vacation to the Florida panhandle. She is hand sewn with upholstery thread (very strong stuff!). The hand sewing is necessary because she has to be stuffed as I sew due to all of her fins and spirals. Her wispy peacock feather filaments add a touch of the exotic. She comes with a little sea horse and she is the first in my 2009 Sea-maid collection.

Vacation

2009-06-17T10:54:00.000-04:00

We just returned from our first vacation in 9 years and it was a truly refreshing experience. We stayed at a motel in Panama City Beach, a place that my family used to go to when I was little girl. We were actually about 10 miles south of the main strip so it was very peaceful and not crowded at all. The name of the motel used to be the Sea Witch, the new owners renamed it the Grand Cayman. It was one of the only hotels to survive hurricane Agnes back in the early 1970's. The motel is solidly built and the staff was wonderful. It is the kind of place that creates family memories. The warmth of the sun, the sound of the surf, the smell of the ocean air, and the peaceful surroundings will definitely call us back next year!

Small drawings

2009-06-06T21:50:00.000-04:00

THree LiTTle GiRls

I have been trying to sequester some inspiration and found myself drawing on ACEO cards again. I have been drawing in pencil since I was a wee tike. Drawing was my first love. So it is really no surprise to find myself back there again. I doubt if I will part with these little girls as their faces have given me new inspiration for some of my folk art figures. The first lass is called "thoughtful". Little lady number 2 is referred to as "stuck". And last but not least is everyone's favorite, Miss Riding Hood. I guess doodling pays off!

2009-05-21T19:36:00.000-04:00

I have been utterly exhausted lately. Maybe because I am an art teacher and the school year is wrapping up. I travel between two schools everyday (high school and elementary) and by the end of the school year I am worn out. We have had an art show at both schools within the last few weeks and boy am I glad those are over. The countdown has begun and we only have 6 days left. My photography students at the high school are rather sad to see the semester end (we've had a great time) and the elementary younguns are itchin to run through the fields and go to the swimming pool. In between teaching, mothering, and trying to be an attentive wife I am also a very dedicated and passionate artist. The artist has had to take a break for a while though (something had to give) otherwise who knows. Once school is out, I can dive head first into creating and spend most of my day dreaming, inventing, and constructing. What Bliss!! My works in progress have been waiting patiently and my drawings have been gazing intently at me wondering when we will begin. "Soon", I say to them, "Very soon indeed!".

Spring Blooms

2009-05-17T12:35:00.000-04:00

The Twins are finally here!!!

2009-04-27T21:36:00.000-04:00

Our last mama to deliver did so without any help. She delivered twins on April 22, one boy and one girl. They are so sweet. Both have huge appetites (just like their mama). They love to cuddle together and have so much fun playing outdoors in the sunshine. Of course Julius and Romeo keep them busy (little billy goats are soooo ornery!) Now maybe I can get back into the creative mode with this year's goat birthing out of the way.

Baby #2

2009-04-13T14:09:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, around 5:30, I heard this loud baaaaa coming from the outside stall. I ran out to find our first time mama squalling awful names at the billy goat she met last fall!! This little one also got quite stuck and mom was having a really hard time. After a slight panic and a call to the vet, we were encouraged to help her all we could until he got there. Finally a second hoof peaked out. We were able to grab hold of both hooves and pull him out. It took a little while for him to liven up, but with a lot of towel rubbing we got him to come around. I must say, he looks less the worse for ware! Two down and one more to go. Mom #3 is still due soon.

New Baby in the Deaton house

2009-04-10T12:28:00.001-04:00

Yes, we have a new baby. A baby goat that is! He was born this morning around 10am. He got stuck coming out, so after giving mom about 20 minutes to push, I got the privilege of stepping in and pulling the little feller out. He was stuck pretty good too, what an experience! We named him Julius. Hope you enjoy the photos!

The Tweedles

2009-03-29T13:10:00.000-04:00

I really had a lot of fun making these crazy "Siamese twin" Tweedles. I love black and white checkers and stripes (hard to tell huh!) And the little crow has such personality!

A Hare and a Hatter

2009-03-29T13:02:00.000-04:00

This guy is one of my favorite "Alice" characters. There are so many ways to interpret him. This Mad Hatter is more stoic than mad. He stands calmly in his teacup (perhaps he has gotten himself into "hot water" with an ornery riddle)!

Alice and Friends

2009-03-29T12:48:00.000-04:00

This is Blue Alice (expression and dress color inspired). Her little white hare was created by Nina Gail Bears (my artistic daughter) and painted by me. Her orange cheshire cat grins craftily at her base (I wonder if he is thinking about disappearing soon?).

2009 Face Jugs

2009-03-29T12:09:00.000-04:00

I have slowed down on creating miniature face jugs because I am having a lot of fun with the folk art figures right now. Here are the jugs I have created this year so far. All of these were sold on ebay (carrot jug is up for auction at this time).

Star Riders

2009-03-29T11:56:00.000-04:00

I began this series of star riders last fall. I really enjoy making them. I am in the process of writing a children's story to go along with the star riders. Another star rider doll will be up for auction on ebay in April 2009.

Past artwork

2009-03-29T11:10:00.000-04:00

In the beginning....hard to say which beginning exactly, there have been so many.
-mud pies
-scribbles
-rock towers
-graphite portraits
-surrealist drawings
-charcoal drawings
-pottery
-sculpture
-large sculpture
-installation sculpture
-miniature face jugs
-primitive figurative sculpture

Photos here are from installation work between 2000 and 2002.
The black and white photos are from the Carnegie Art Center in Covington, Kentucky.
The sculptures are made from a chicken wire armature with my paper clay recipe over top. The sculptures were extremely durable and yet very light weight. The installation consisted of nest forms that were emerging into (or regressing from) various stages of human configuration. The installation dealt with the idea of birth and death in a very primitive manner. The main figure, holding the branch, represents the mother/earth from which springs forth all physical life and to which all physical life returns in death.
The color photos are of an outdoor installation located at the Ohio River Grasses exhibit in Cincinnati, Ohio. The installation depicts our connection with nature (trees in particular) and our dependence upon the survival of nature for our own subsistence. In another way , the installation portrays the cycle of life (and of life and death). the sculptures were created with a chicken wire armature, my paper clay, and branches. The installation held up quite well for four months outdoors.