Meet Shannon Bailes...
a single mother creating her independence one stitch at a time!
As creative people ourselves...
do we take the time to ask other artists...
why do you create?
Better yet, will they answer you... "truthfully"?
What drives them to keep making their art...?
So, I asked...
And Shannon was willing to share with me...
her world as a doll maker...
her passions...
&
her drive.
What a beautiful soul she has...
inspiring to others...
&
what a creative women she is!
thank you for sharing...
Shannon Bailes
your heartfelt story...
your life as an artist...
&
your challenges as a mother.
Shannon is a single mother of 2 children.
Tara is 12 years old.
Her daughter likes to draw girls in dresses.
(just like her mommy!)
and Tara"loves" cats.
Her son, Cole, is 8 years old.
He has been officially diagnosed with Autism.
He is sweet and handsome and a terrific artist.
(just like his mommy!)
What inspires Shannon to create dolls?
 |
| Here is her answer... |
Well, I have always liked to draw women. Especially the face. I have a bachelors degree in Fine Art.
My last semester of college I took a weaving class.
Oh my. I just loved it.
If I wasn't in my last semester of college I would have changed my major to Fiber Arts.
Anyway, I was interested in sewing and fibers after that.
I found this book through a craft mail order company
Mother Plays with Dolls by elinor peace bailey ( she spells her name in lower case letters)
It was a revelation. Making dolls, women, faces, art, fibers.
It just was everything I loved in this package called a doll.
I love to experiment with different forms.
Little girl dolls, women dolls, odd dolls. The possibilities are endless.
I can't pick a specific form.
My faces though...
I think, are all very much me!
Even when I change the dimensions of the facial features it is still "my face".
How do you choose a name for your art dolls ?
&
what are your most important art tools?
Okay, as for names... I have trouble with this.
I don't know why really.
Usually my dolls are made with colors and patterns in mind or maybe feeling?
I like witches, fairies and mermaids.
I also like goddess lore from Ancient Greece to Gaia religious beliefs. It is all fascinating.
An example of a name for a doll a while back was "It Ain't easy being green."
She was literally green.
I felt like she was a witch in the woods.
Not an ugly witch but an earth witch.
So witch, forest, environmental, earth mother. Green.
Art tools I can't live without?
My Bernina sewing machine
stuffing tools
and of course fabric!
I collect and collect....
It's a "creative" mess but very inspiring.
I like my stuff around me.
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