Don't let their small size fool you. Every single one of the dolls on display at Parkgate library is the result of countless hours of intricate handiwork.
"It's not hard to put 100 hours into one," says Doreen Marlor, a member of the Coast Character Doll Artists.
The North Shore-based artisan group creates figurative sculptures using a variety of materials and techniques. About a dozen Halloween-themed dolls and recycled-material dolls created by group members are on display until Nov. 2 at Parkgate branch, located at 3675 Banff Court, North Vancouver.
"We've been doing it now for a couple of years and people seem to really enjoy it because the library's always really pleased when we're coming," Marlor says of the exhibit. She's been involved with Coast Character Doll Artists since 2005. An avid sewer since childhood, it wasn't until later in life that she learned about art dolls. "I saw a book and it had all these fabulous dolls in it and I just never knew there was such a thing and I was really excited about it," she says.
When she retired, she begin exploring doll- making and was pleasantly surprised to discover the Coast Character Doll Artists meet right here on the North Shore.
"And it turned out there were people in it that I already knew," she says.
The group has about 20 members from across the Lower Mainland with a variety of backgrounds in textile arts.
"Most of us, I guess, started out sewing and then some went into doing more surface decoration, embellishment, some people went into beading and so on," Marlor says.
This hobby appeals to fibre artists, she says, because it combines sewing, sculpting, beading, embroidery and a host of other skills all in one project.
"All your talents go into one thing," she says, noting the group holds regular workshops where members can share their skills and expertise. Typically, a doll's body is made from cloth, Marlor explains, while the head is either cloth or polymer clay. Most group members make their own figure and clothing patterns, though there are many books and websites dedicated to doll patterns and tutorials that can be accessed.
Marlor keeps many of her figurative creations on display in her home and sells others, though she admits the market for art dolls in the Pacific Northwest isn't as large as that in the Eastern United States.
"It's also quite big in Australia and in Britain and in Russia," she says of the craft. "It's a worldwide thing."
Coast Character Doll Artists meet the fourth Wednesday of each month on the North Shore. New members are welcome. For more information, call Monique Choptik at 604-569-3374 or Doreen Marlor at 604-984-8540.
