Learn To Bead

ALL DOLLED UP: BEADED ART DOLL COMPETITION
Fifth 2013

This year, we did not receive many entries. The Judges felt that there were not enough entries which met their criteria to hold a contest.

Two of the entries, however, were awarded Judges Honors with a $200.00 prize.

These two doll artists’ works are presented here.  (http://www.landofodds.com/store/alldolledup2013contest.htm )

It was interesting that both artists – one from California and the other from Texas —  both chose the “mermaid” to illustrate this year’s theme of Transformations.   Both artists, however, created their dolls using different technical methods and artistic goals.

QUESTION:
If you were a judge, which one of these entries would you have scored higher?
Visit the webpages and review their images, materials lists, and written stories.

CRYSTAL RECTOR
from Lomita, California
“Emergence”

CRYSTAL RECTOR
from Lomita, California
“Emergence”

Yvette M. Lowry
from Dickinson, Texas
“Meredith”

Yvette M. Lowry
from Dickinson, Texas
“Meredith”

Our ALL DOLLED UP Competition is structured , not  as a “beauty contest”, but more of a “design competition.”    The artist is asked, not only to design a doll, but to create a story – fictional, non-fictional or a mix of both – which illustrates the kinds of thinking and choices the artist made while creating the doll, its structure, its colors, and its artistic embellishment.

The judges evaluated all the entries in terms of:
1. INSIGHT: The Bead Artist’s inner awareness and powers of self-expression through sculptural beadwork

2. TECHNIQUE(S):Creativity of the artist in using various beading stitches, as well as creating the doll’s form.

3. VISUAL APPEAL: The overall visual appeal of the doll.

4. QUALITY OF WRITTEN STORY: How well the written short story enhances an appreciation of the Beaded Art Doll.

This year’s theme was: Transformations.   The written story had to begin with this sentence:

“As she turns towards me, her hands no longer seem familiar; her face, once recognizable, now unexpected; her aura, a palette of changed colors, I want to share, but can’t all at once. She is transforming, before my eyes, as if I wished it to happen, for whatever reason — fun, mundane or sinister — I’m not sure. But as she moves and evolves, a special insight occurs to me,  so I name her… “