From Water To Sky
Blues,
whites, fiery reds and yellows --
overtaking the sky from dusk 'til dawn --
fascinate me, whether in my dreams,
or longings for that something more,
whirling nebulas, mysterious planets and stars I barely see
... my Beaded Art Doll, my celestial reflection, I name you ....
Diva Astra
Laguna.
Sitting
high above the summer lakes, you wave your starry glistening shine over
the waters. When the sky is still, we can see the glimmers of your regal
watchfulness, granting the water its sparkly shimmer.
As a young
girl, her name was simply Laguna. She was born of the blue lakes of the
north, the daughter of Enki, the god of water and wisdom. Her mother,
whom she never knew, was Nila, a common star of the sky. Because Nila
was not of noble descent, Enki brought Laguna to live with him as a
royal daughter of the water. Laguna's coloring as a child was the watery
blue of her father, but her mother's name (which means blue) gave her
the starry shimmering blue of the day sky on water.
As her
years moved by, she felt herself more and more awash in the world of
her father. She grew a generous swimming tail and long, graceful arms
that floated her through the deep waters of the lake. While becoming
more beautiful as she grew into the sparkling colors of the lake, her
longing for the sky also grew. Each night, Laguna would float face up
in the water, staring at the night sky's shining richness. Her longing
was so great that she asked the sky to be her home.
Tail
(back view)
Face
One night,
as her mother Nila was streaming through the heavens, she saw her reflection
in the glistening lake. She stared at the shimmering sight, only to realize
that the face she was seeing was not hers, but the face of her beautiful
daughter. She felt her baby Laguna's longing and with this, she lit up
the sky with her joy at having found her. Nila's own longing pressed
her to plead to the night for help in reuniting with her lost child.
The stars and planets heard her and began to shine in a way they never
had. Stars streaked across the sky and the planets swirled into places
thye had never been.
Winding Tail
(front view)
As Laguna
lay in the water, she could see the sky dancing, and she knew this celestial
dance was just for her. She stretched her arms high out from the water
to the heavens. She stretched so far that some of the shooting stars
became trapped in her fingers. The stars were moving so fast that they
pulled
Laguna up from the water and carried her into the sky. As she careened
toward the heavens, Laguna's tail curled up around her body, and as she
moved with the stars through the night sky, she accumulated beautiful
treasures. Her hair became entangled with a cloud, creating a downy blue
nest where stars and their dust found a new home. She swung so close
to a planet of sapphire spikes, that some of them lodged into her now
elegantly twisted tail. Little crystal meteors hurtled into Laguna's
body, sprinkling her with hundreds of colors.
Shooting Stars Trapped In Her Fingers
Hair Entangled With A Cloud
Laguna
had no time to understand what was happening. As she whirled through
the sky, she was both frightened and exhilarated. She was flown from
one end of the sky to the other as the stars continued to dance with
her, showering her with their gifts until it was clear that by her own
intent, Laguna was now actually part of them. The light shimmering blue
of her former self was now dotted and dazzled with the deep, brilliant
colors of her mother's home.
Back of Head
Once the
flurry had subsided, Laguna stood quietly in front of her mother. As
Laguna looked into Nila's face, she saw her own self... a shimmer of
blues, silvers and spectacular night sky colors. As the stars and planets
watched, the two women embraced each other with quiet joy.
The community
of the heavens convened that night to welcome Nila's daughter. Recognizing
that she was deeply connected to both of her beginnings -- heaven and
earth, they made her the mistress of the lake sky, charging her to watch
over the waters and guide the stars' reflections through their azure
depths. They graced her with a regal collar and named her Diva Astra
Laguna.
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Frontal Image
Side Image
Back Image
Detailed Image
Leap of
Faith
(rotation)
List of Materials
and Techniques Employed
Dimensions:
She is 13" high.
Construction
Techniques:
Stuffed fabric, with wires for stability.
Materials
List:
FireLine thread
various seed beads
Czech glass
Swarovski crystal
wool felt
Metallic thread
decorative yarn
glass bugle beads
silver plated rounds
hand-made silver pmc stars and face
charms
nickel wire
Techniques:
Basic technique used was bead embroidery. The collars were done in brick
stitch and netting. Some peyote and square stitch "patches" were also
used.
GROUP
PROCESS
As
members of the Dayton Art Doll Group, we thought it would be fun to collaborate
on the Celestial Reflections Doll. We didn't have much discussion about
the actual design as much as we talked about the process of letting each
member add whatever she wanted. We would let the doll speak to each of
us, trying not to think of the pressures of a contest, or even about
what other members would have to say. One of the members had an old Barbie
Doll case that we fixed up for our "Celestial Barbie" (as we often called
her) to travel in. In that case we would also put any beads or inspiration
pieces that each person felt might be helpful for the next person.
Two
members selected fabric: some glittery satins in light blue, royal blue,
magenta and some green. One member then designed and sewed, and stuffed
a basic body form. She added a few wires for stability and to allow her
arms to be bent.
From
there the doll was passed on to whoever had the time or the inspiration
to work on her. One of our members loves felting, so she gave her hair
right away. We mostly just passed her around for people to bead, with
everyone adding their own selections. We didn't see her face until long
into the process, when one of our members who is a pmc artist, offered
to do a silver clay face, which she studded with aquamarine eyes. We
all beaded a little more, adding collars and wires and stars, until finally
she said it was time to stop.
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