TA DAH's Story
"The
mirror reflects more than my hands can feel.
Lines, edges, shadings, a weariness under the eyes, an awkward stance.
Yet, not reflected is a certain vibrancy --
a compassion and wisdom and wonder so many people rely on.
Only you, my beaded art doll,
capture the fullness of me as I age in place .
You embody changes I want to make, so I aptly name you…"
TA DAH.
I shall
tell my story through TA DAH or TA for short. TA had been to the beauty
shop for a new perm and the latest gossip. Her curls turned out to be
a bit much and she stepped on bubble gum on her way to the car.
What
a day! Upon arriving home, TA looked in the bathroom mirror at her new
do and the mirror changed her life and mine forever.
While
looking at the faint outline of her younger slimmer chin sitting on her
older fuller chin, it suddently came to TA....That's not me out there,
I'm in here. What people see of me isn't the real me, the real me is inside
this body.
Then
the question TA had asked all her life was answered with thoughts and
pictures drifting from her image in the mirror to her real being inside
the body. TA enjoyed all the beauty of nature and art. She should wear
nature's wonderful colors and images, forget about the dress appropriately
for your age thing.
Forget
about acting her age. TA should spend the rest of her life making beautiful
things and sharing her knowledge with others, her attention was drawn
to how art in all its forms, could make the earth a happier more inspiring
place, make people happy, educate them. How simple things and actions
could make the earth a greener and healthier environment for generations
to come.
TA
has raised children, pets, flowers, veggies. Painted pictures, made quilts,
clothes and dolls. She has lived many years and has more to go. When the
younger generation is sorting their cans and plastics they should remember
something else that's very important to recycle -- the older generation's
wisdom. TA knows about rain barrels, compost in the garden and hanging
clothes on a line in the yard. Waste free health eating and home remedies.
TA can recycle lots of wisdom on how to live a good and peaceful life...
she knows it's better to be kind than always be right about things. As
with all the older folks TA can recycle the family history as well as
the history of many other families you know.
The
dog barked and TA came to her self, her real self that is, and spread
out her arms with a huge smile and a twinkle in her eyes and yelled,
"TA
DAH"
...announcing
the new me! I am useful, I can do many things, I have valuable knowledge!
I shall never dress in drab colors again, from now on it's clothes the
color of rainbows and flowers. Polka dots, stripes and maybe mismatched
socks, maybe not. I shall make beautiful things, that is my purpose, that
is why I am here.
I
guess the moral of this story is ...don't discard the older things of
this world as they contain their own kind of beauty, wisdom and peacefulness.
Recycle an old gold mine....grandparents. you will be all the richer for
it.
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Side Image
Back Image
Detailed Image
(rotation)
List of Materials
and Techniques Employed
Dimensions:
14 inches from top of hair to sole of shoes
10 1/2 inch waist
3 inches thick from front to back
Construction
Techniques:
I drew the doll pattern on paper towel and old ex-ray film, traced around
pattern pieces, cut them out and stitched the body up on the sewing maching,
leaving openings to stuff body with Poly Fill and attach hands at wrists.
Sculpted
hands of Polymer clay including fingernail and palm markings, giving her
a long life line and an interesting life. Dimples at the base of fingers.
Hole in each wrist to attach to doll with needle and thread. Nail polish
after baking hands in oven. Hands slipped into body arm openings and attached
with needle and thread going through holes in wrists.
Doll
stuffed and openings closed, then pointed wooden stick pushed down through
top of head, through neck and into upper body. Legs attached with button
hinges after entire doll and legs beaded.
Materials
List:
cotton fabric
Poly
Fill stuffing
seed beads
delica beads
assorted beads and sizes
two buttons for leg joints
one small dragonfly on shoe sole
two sculpted polymer clas hands and nail polish
thread, fireline, nymo and spider wire to hinge legs
one wooden stick in neck.
Techniques:
Stitches used: peyote, square stitch, back stitch, cobble stitch, netting
and loops.
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