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Seagrave artist crafts dolls from bits and “| can’t think of anywhere else that I'd be able to use sculpting and design skills, embroidery, beading, quilting, painting and my colour training,” says dollmaker Deborah Colston, “and yet people often react as though | make baby dolls or something.” The Thunder Bay native who moved to Toronto to attend Ryerson’s Fashion Design program, graduating in 1981, feels suit- ed to what she prefers to call sculpture or “figurative art”. It is only when Colston settles into her cozy workshop in the Seagrave home that she’s shared for nineteen years with hus- band, Howard and her three teenagers, that the work really begins. “| have to get into the right head space,” she explains. “The tactile process in my studio starts things rolling.” ———______________—__ She creates dolls from nat- ural elements such as shell, antler, stone or driftwood, from stone clay or polymer clay depending on the suitability of material to vision. Working from photos or clippings to create lifelike figures or using fabric and yarns to craft fairytale creatures give her equal pleasure. “Starting with porcelain sculpture, | came to realize that | was more interested in the creation of the dolls than the collecting aspect,” she shares. “The treasures are the bits and pieces of raw material. This makes it very easy to part with my finished product. It's the process that is gratifying.” Colston has taken the past two years away from the creative process in order to serve as Treasurer to the Canadian Doll Artists Association (www.dollartists.com), a 200-member, non- profit, national organization. , She does still keep active by meeting with “creative buddy”, Catherine Dalhaise in Raglan to explore life drawing and stone clay sculpting. She also attends monthly meetings organized by Marianne Reitsma for a 22-member Ajax club (www.mreitsma- design.com/dollart/dollartclub) where one member per month chal- ‘I’m more interested in creating, than collecting” Health & Beauty Spa & Body Treatments & Hand & Foot Care #& Skin Care % Massages a Spa Lunches & Packages Available cod Gift Certificates Available , 56 Perry Street, Port Perry wwwlakewi indsspa.ca 14 FOCUS - JULY 2006 ——— 905-985-7727 lenges those gathered with a new project to promote fresh ideas and inspire learning. The stone clay sculpting which requires kiln firing is a new area and welcome break from her wire and tinfoil-armatured, florist tape- wrapped, polymer clay figures. She bakes the polymer in her spare oven in the garage and need not worry about the number of pieces to fill a kiln. “My process is a little slower,” she says, “but | have a busy fam- _ ily and don't want to miss my ‘T’m told this occupation children growing up.” “I'm told that this occupation is very therapeutic” Ss is very therapeutic,” Colston says. “I just love it because | can bring my entire, creative self to it and succeed. Her art may be found at The Guild Shop in Toronto and has sold across Canada, the U.S. and in England. She has photo credits in “Art Doll Quarterly” (an American publication) and had Nick Knox, one of her Jack-in-the-Boxes on display for three years (until Octo- ber 2003) at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Deborah Colston’s creations, from realistic to whimsical can never be considered baby dolls, but true works of art. By Barbara Hunt us: 905-985-7727 focus@observerpub.ca