Joyce Miko AADA

Here is an updated picture of my very very good artist friend Joyce Miko. She was also in attendance at John and Cile`s house for lunch. She and her sister founded AADA Academy of American Doll Artist. Sadly her sister has passed away. I know many of her fellow doll artist have asked me how Joyce is doing. She looks great , her health is great and she has asked my to say hello to all that know and love her.
Joyce and her sister were responsible for the next phase in my dollmaking journey. The OOAK (the one of a kind phase.) We had over the years many WOW(week of workshops). We gathered the best of the best teachers and students together and traveled to foreign lands. France , Italy and more. Oh what an exciting time in my life.
It was sad indeed when Joyce had to phase out AADA. But as we all know nothing stays the same. We can only savior the memories.
Joyce has moved out of the big Victorian house and into a small comfortable home in Goffstown NH . She is realizing her passion for quilts. She sells on ebay under the name of Quilt Divas. If you have any messages for our friend Joyce leave them on my comment page and I will see she gets them.
One last thing about the Burbridge Lunch post. I didn`t get the pictures in the order I wanted. I hope you will bear with me as I learn more about blogging.

Me and John Burbridge

The lady in the white dress. This is one of six new Ladies that John has created. She has no hair yet because i need to style the wig for all of them. My but he has been busy since the last time i saw him. I found it interesting that he has left room in the hat for her hair to be styled correctly.
This gold material is very interesting. Let me back up a bit here. All 55 ladies now reside at Ventfort Hall in the Berkshires in Ma.

Sarah Morgan sister of J.P. Morgan built this Mansion which is now a museum dedicated to the Gilded Age. Perfect place for the ladies to live. Sarah had bought this material to have a dress made for herself. She died before it was made. Sarah`s great great and maybe another great could be added here ,granddaughter asked John to create a dress for one of the ladies.
This picture of the dress John created with the gold material is not the best picture. I am in John`s studio and she along with a few other new ladies were on shelfs and the lighting was not the best. But believe me this dress is breathtaking as all of his works are.
The simplicity of this walking suit is elegant . Again she needs her hair done. I must get to their wigs very soon.
Oh I wish you all could see how lovely this ladies are . My pictures do not do them justice. If you ever want to give yourself a real treat buy John`s book .Les Petites Dames de Mode by John Burbridge isbn 1-9322485-06-6

After a wonderful lunch served in John`s perfectly manicured gardens we settled down to admire the antique clothes that Dawn brought for show and tell. In this picture John is showing us that while wearing this coat a women because of the way the coat is constructed ,was not able to raise her arms above her elbows height. Since all she had to do was to be able to pour tea. LOL
Dawn and John admire the inside of the Lace Tea Coat. Notice the pile of other antique clothes in front of John.
Cile models this wonderful antique Lace Tea Coat.
This car duster coat is in amazing condition . John thinks it dates around the late 1800`s
The inside of this mint antique car duster coat.

He uses this lager pleater but There were no examples handy to show you the results.
John shows Dawn my daughter how to use this kind of pleater
This picture shows the finished result of one of the pleaters that john uses.

John Burbridge

This pleater is interesting ,but difficult to see in the picture.
John is showing Dawn my daughter how he uses one of his pleaters.



I recently had lunch at John Burbridge`s house. His wife Cile, a world famous wedding cake artist, prepared a lovely lunch for us.It was served in their well manicured garden patio area. Dawn my daughter and long time friend Joyce Miko were in attendance.
After lunch we went to John`s well organized studio. there John shared some of the tools he works with.I was fascinated with the iron he uses. It was quite heavy and has a tank that set on the floor. A hose led from the tank to the iron to produce steam.

Kinkie The Lion King

Today just for a giggle I thought I would humiliate my cat Kinkie. What do you think he is thinking?

Kat , Lisa, and Me

Here we are at Lisa`s exhibit. Her website is a must see!!!! http://www.lisalichtenfels.net/
During the holiday season of 2005-2006, the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum in Springfield, MA, exhibited the works of Lisa Lichtenfels. Featured were 12 new works, including two life-sized fabric sculptures. There was a large photographic exhibit on the walls with images spanning 20 years of the artist’s career. In-progress displays showed how these realistic figures in nylon fabric were created, including an ongoing video of hands-on instructions. Finally, a large diorama, “The Krazy Horse Saloon,” was reconstructed with 20 figures and a one-third life-sized bar and stage environment.

Allison by Lisa Lichtenfels

This wonderful creation is owned by Kat Bunker. Kat is a very good friend, artist, and traveling companion of mine. She live with Allison the next town over.

The Ticket Taker by Lisa Lichtenfels

I love love this sculpture. Her art pieces range from 5 inch to 5 feet. This one is life size.

Angel of Death by Lisa Lichtenfels

The print is to small to read from the picture . Here is what Lisa said about this sculpture.
Lichtenfels fell on the ice last winter and severely damaged one leg.Stuck in bed for a month,in excruciating pain, she had an image of the the Angel of Death. She though. "What would you like to have take you into the next world?" The result is a compassionate otherwordly angel, robed in billowing Chinese silk, the little girl at her side will be enfolded in dark mysterious fabric. I plan to keep this one. "Lisa said It is my best piece to date."
This picture was in Doll Collector May 2001

Artist Extraordinaire LISA LICHTENFELS

Before I leave the soft sculpture phase of my dollmaking journey. I would like to share a link to an artist that is an absolute GENIUS!!! . Give yourself a treat and read everything that is available on Lisa`s website. In my vast collections of books, her book "Figures in Fabric" is by far one of my all time favorites.

I have had the pleasure of visiting Lisa at her studio several times and I also went to a gallery in Springfield Ma that had thirty five of Lisa`s figurative sculptures on exhibit . When I look at her art I am awe struck. Each piece has the ability to hold you captive. You would swear you can see them breathing.
http://www.lisalichtenfels.net/