Blog

Hello to all my lovely doll fans...

I hope everyone is excited and enjoying the beginning of this Holiday Season....

I have had an intense wake-up call, and realize I have been going in the wrong direction for many years... thinking I could make a living at creating beautiful Antique Reproduction dolls.... I put all my eggs in one basket when I could have continued on with other kinds of dolls as well as the Reprocuctions of the Antiques.

I have worked very hard and long hours giving my all to this work. But, right now, I am not making it... I am not selling enough to keep going with only Antique Reproduction dolls, and so I have no alternative than to let go of doing this work.

At times I have been so discouraged, but never as much as I am now.

Giving a 40% off discount on many wonderful works of art here, and with no takers, I realize that my time making these kind of dolls is over... Selling at these discounted prices does not give me any profit to live on.

Since I have a huge investment in the composition doll bodies, Hand Glass Craft Eyes, mohair wigs, and wonderful costumes, I cannot let go without finishing up some of these dolls and trying at least to recoup some of my investment, so there will be some more dolls, but I have made a decision now, not to pour any new Antique Reproduction doll parts. Whatever I have poured now is all I intend to finish in the way of this kind of doll.

I am trying hard to think of how I can earn a living with continuing on with making porcelain dolls, but when I see the incredible work of other dollmakers who are making what is in demand, I realize I have not kept up to the current trends in porcelain dollmaking, and it could be too late for me at my age, and with the limitations of my hand that is still in terrible shape and I am in pain just picking up a paint brush.

I do not have the talent to create the kind of dolls that are selling for high prices such as the kind of dolls made by Marina Bychkova, a young woman who admired one of my own dolls that won a "Best of Show" in the "Fantasy Dolls" Category of an International show in 2004.

It was the last time I entered dolls in an International Show and also the last time I made a fantasy doll. Marina, on the other hand, went straight into fantasy dolls and she is the most incredible doll artist I have ever seen... presently, today, one of her dolls, only 14.5 inches in height is at auction, and with 33 bids at this very moment the doll is selling for $25,100.00 Candian funds, and it stil has three days to go... This, it seems is what is in demand.

The year 2004 was a turning point in my dollmaking career when I closed my teaching studio and began my journey into making only Antique Reproduction dolls... It was, as I see now, a choice that led to meeting a number of wonderful people, and that part I am so happy about, but also, it led to this time where I cannot even sell dolls at just a little over my cost of materials to make them.

My intention today is to make this another turning point in my artistic ventures and anything new I decide to make will go in a new direction... possibly towards the fantasy dolls with tattoos engraved and painted onto the svelte bodies.

I pray that I will find the way to be able to create something, not like what anyone else is making, but something that will flow from within me that will appeal to those who want to buy porcelain dolls.

I value all feedback and encourage you to write to me with your thoughts and suggestions. Please write to me at dolls@emilyhart.com

Wishing everyone the very best and thank you to everyone who has supported me over the past 24 years in buying my Antique Reproduction dolls as well as all the other kinds of dolls I have made.

Emily Hart