Friday, February 12, 2010

Modern Nesting Dolls

I just finished an interesting art commission: painting a blank set of nesting dolls. It was quite different than anything I've done before, but surprisingly enjoyable. Another big bonus is that the recipient of the gift (Lisa) is an amazing photographer, and she put together this really great video. She also did a more detailed post on her blog with more photos if you'd like to check them out.





at

19 comments:

  1. l0k1February 12, 2010 at 4:01 PM

    thanks for making these for us, joel. they're probably just about the coolest valentine's gift i've ever gotten.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Liz StanleyFebruary 12, 2010 at 11:20 PM

    wow, so cool.i love seeing how you hung them all to try. so creative, once again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. IsaFebruary 13, 2010 at 12:16 AM

    these are ingenious!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2010 at 2:41 AM

    They are so pretty! The golden one with the flowers has got to be my favorite! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. TinaFebruary 13, 2010 at 4:38 AM

    What a gorgeous idea and they turned out so beautifully Joel! ~ Tina

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kickcan & ConkersFebruary 13, 2010 at 11:25 AM

    They look great - from every angle! Love the video too. well done :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Pauline SaïdiFebruary 14, 2010 at 10:20 AM

    Ouh, que c'est beau! Bravo pour ce beau travail!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. LisaMariaFebruary 14, 2010 at 10:26 AM

    Can I ask where you got the blank nesting dolls?
    A great idea!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Joel HenriquesFebruary 14, 2010 at 12:53 PM

    Thanks everybody!

    And they were purchased on Amazon, but you can find them even at craft stores usually. Just do an Amazon or Google Shopping search for "Blank Nesting Dolls" and you'll find many to choose from.

    I also used a clear water based non-toxic varnish to protect them and make them more durable. The stuff I use is Crystal Urethane by Timber Pro Coatings. I bought a small can of it at a local "Green Building Supply" store in Portland.

    ReplyDelete
  10. SarahFebruary 14, 2010 at 2:41 PM

    what a great blog!!! I love all the arts and crafts.

    ReplyDelete
  11. RobynFebruary 14, 2010 at 3:05 PM

    I cant get enough of your cool stuff. Love these!

    My favorite is the white one with the rainbow bottom.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Three OwlsFebruary 14, 2010 at 10:32 PM

    I have just found this blog~ this is brilliance....I have home learners in the house and this is a fantastically inspiring resource...thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mariah@Playful LearningFebruary 15, 2010 at 2:51 PM

    They are lovely! I am really enjoying your blog :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. HollyFebruary 15, 2010 at 11:46 PM

    everything you seem to make is inspiring. I already handmake A LOT and your blog makes me want to make twice as much because I always leave inspired. Thanks for being here.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Adrienne Brown-DavidFebruary 16, 2010 at 8:17 PM

    I've given you a blog award! Stop by my blog to check it out! (that sounds like some kind of spam-type thing now that I've typed it)

    fourbadapples.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. YamilaFebruary 17, 2010 at 2:28 PM

    my son who is 2 1/2 said "look at the little mamushkas, where are their faces"
    very cute

    ReplyDelete
  17. Joel HenriquesFebruary 17, 2010 at 9:52 PM

    Yeah, while making them, my 3 year old son Jack was asking me if I was going to paint eyes on them.

    ReplyDelete
  18. PatrickFebruary 18, 2010 at 12:30 PM

    I haven't enough words in english to say how interesting I found your blog !
    Many nice and wonderful things here !

    ReplyDelete
  19. AlexFebruary 23, 2010 at 10:41 PM

    Wow, awesome! I love how many of them there are and how tiny they get--I remember that being important nesting doll criteria when I was a kid.

    ReplyDelete