After taking Lisa's class, I was excited to use the technique to create another doll. This was another face I had sculpted and set aside, not sure what to do with him. I'm not sure why it is, but it seems like when I sculpt faces, they turn out to be male more often than not. I'm always pleased with the faces, but am challenged to come up with the rest of the doll to go with the face.

This face had a little bit of arrogance about it - and needed a pose to match. It took a little bit of engineering to come up with the pose using the method I learned in class. I did learn from this doll and I would do a stronger, longer support on the next one.

I had the pose and finished him and dressed him similar to Serenity, but I wasn't pleased. My friend Vicki was over (she is excellent with costuming) and I asked her what I should do for him. We went to my fabric stash and she made her suggestions. I took off the original clothes and redressed him as you see here. Voila! perfect. A piece of feather boa in rust became his hair, a dried pod with a feather made his hat. He holds another dried pod in his hand and a curly gold staff.

I'm very lucky that my friend, Lisa Renner lives nearby and I'm able to take classes from her. She taught a Stardust Fairy Class for our local polymer clay guild in June this year. Lisa makes taking a class such as pleasure, not only due to her abilities as an artist and teacher, but also the preparation work she puts into every workshop she teaches. The workshop was a full day and we were able to go home with a completed fairy doll. My doll is called Serenity, as her face suggests.

When Patricia Rose offered lessons through her guild program, I immediately signed up. I was very excited to learn from such a great sculptor. I signed up as soon as I found out she was offering the program. I was definately intimidated when I received the first lesson! It was a full body sculpt - of the classic Venus - in other words, a nude. No chance of any clothing hiding any mistakes.

I bravely proceeded, printing off her step-by-step directions. I began sculpting the face. When I finished the face, well, it wasn't Venus. In fact, it wasn't even female - but it was a fabulous face and I really liked it. It was too good to smash, so I set it aside and began sculpting the Venus face again. The second face was better (it was female at least) and I did finish the whole sculpt. All I can say is that it was a good first piece, but the only resemblance to the orginal Venus were the uplifted arms and standing on a seashell. I have it in my studio on a top shelf, but I would never post it. I did, however, still have the orginal face still staring at me, wanting to be completed.

I sculpted a body to go with the head and Tristan was born. He dances through the forests, clothed in leaves. I'm very pleased with the way he turned out.