I just came back from a trip to Japan the other day. This time, my son and I went back to see my family, so I did not have any personal events.
However, I went to help out Alan Pate’s doll tour group from the U.S. for their visit to Kaiko-Doll in Tokyo. Kaiko-Doll exhibited and sold many rare dolls, including a friendship-doll size Ichimatsu doll by Hirata Goyo, as well as articulated body Ichimatsu dolls and posed dolls also by Goyo. The large friendship size doll was a real beauty, and was a perfect duplicate of a Goyo friendship-doll in my town. ( except she had closed mouth, the one in Reno has open mouth with teeth ) I was very lucky to be able to see her. That evening, we went on a cruise on the Sumida River with the tour group and Japanese doll artists. Unfortunately, it was raining, but it was quite nice to see the skyscrapers and the Skytree in the rain.
Friendship-doll size Ichimatsu doll by Goyo, she was made for domestic sales in 1920’sShe has very similar face to a friendship-doll exhibited in museum in Renosmaller size Goyo doll with rare articulated composition bodyKaiko-doll also has so many fabulous French and German dollsat river cruise with Alan Scott pate and doll artist Kokan and Meisho, owner of Kaiko doll MichikoHaving fun inside the boat with sasimi and tempraview of Tokyo bay from the boat
When I was working on a 12-inch Millet Bru a few weeks ago, quite a few kiln dust appeared on her face after the third firing. I had a couple of spots appeared on the bisque in the past but this is the first time I had so many of them. I received a lot of useful advice when I posted it on social media, including the opinion that the dust will disappear if you fire the head with cone 5, so I tried it. Sure enough, the dust and red colors burned off. The original head was bisque fired with cone 6, so it seems that bisque firing at a slightly lower temperature (cone 5) can prevent over firing. When I started repainting the red sections like the lip and eye shadow, a few kiln dust appeared again during the third firing. However, it was almost completely gone by the fourth firing with cone 018.
The number of visible dust particles has decreased to about three and the head itself is very small so they are not very visible to the naked eye anymore. I consider this to be within the acceptable range.
I decided to use this head for my next doll and set sparkly antique eyes with large irises. These beautiful antique eyes have a lot of sparkly patterns and that gave her a very cute, dreamy expression.
I think these irises are dark navy, but they kind of look grey in the pictures because sparkly threads overpower the blue color underneath.
I’ve finally been able to finish this Bru head after multiple obstacles happened this year. Maybe because of that, I want to create a sweet faced doll rather than a Bru doll with an attitude. I really love her soothing, gentle face.
#1 so many spots appeared #2 fired with cone 5 to burn off all spots #3 repainted pink skin tone #4 repainted lips and eye shadowsRepainted eye brows and cheeks, final painting is done, only few spots left at this stageSet antique navy blue eyes with lots of sparkles. She looks very sweet
I fired and painted this little Kestner 102 head and a Bru head in the same kiln. This head had no kiln dust. Since I bought the SFGW of this doll, its porcelain slip was from a different brand than the Bru head I cast. Very interesting.
While struggling with kiln dust on the Bru head, I created a Rohmer head under the same conditions for comparison. This mold, gifted from a friend who passed away last year and previously unused, became my first fashion doll head attempt.
Curiously, despite using the same slip, paint, and even fired with the Bru head in the same kiln, this head produced minimal kiln dust. I have tried different type of antique eyes for her to find out which looks I like the best. I think I like the last photo with cobalt blue eyes. She looks sweeter.
This is ouch! The amount of dust on Bru head when I removed it from the kiln is so discouraging ..
I had to evacuate in the middle of painting during forest fire, so I left my tools out and left the house for a week. It seems that something foreign got mixed in somewhere in tools or paint, perhaps inside the kiln. There must have been a lot of smoke in the house too…
Since I started making this millet head, I’ve had a series of unexpected problems and having trouble completing even one head. I’m glad I didn’t schedule any events this fall. If there had been an exhibition or doll show I had scheduled like last year, I would have been mentally stressed out so much .
I just have to pull myself together and start again from scratch.
I inherited Eden Bebe doll from an elderly friend of mine in the doll club, who said it was her most precious possession. It’s a doll she’s treasured since she was a child. It’s a great honor for a collector to be entrusted with the care of a doll that is as precious as her own child. I plan to take good care of her as long as I am able. I quickly found a permanent spot for her which is right next to a Steiner doll that I made many years ago. This sweet Eden bebe already looks so happy in her new home with new friends !
I have successfully finished casting 12-inch Bru, and have completed the wet cleaning stage. Until now, I have been using Seeley’s Bru Jne 11 mold for the 12-inch Bru, but this time I am using Bru Jne 4 head to make 12-inch doll. I love the face of Bru 4 so I’m very excited to make a smaller size doll with this head for the first time.
This week, I’ll start creating a new doll. I wanted to cast the mold today but the heat was too much, and I had to give up. I can’t use the kiln during this heatwave. Instead, I’ll make a Chevrot body in the air-conditioned doll room. The new doll will be a 12-inch Bru. Everyone please stay safe during this severe summer weather!