Friday, April 11, 2014

Welcome St Barbara


I have come to love these Santos Cage Dolls from Retro Cafe Art.  Not knowing much about Santos Dolls when I started, I have done a bit of research and find their stories to be very interesting. My first completed doll was the large one offered by Retro Cafe Art.  While I started on all 3 sizes at the same time, I took a little longer with this baby.  But I am OHHHHHHHH! so happy with the results.

This doll, which I call St Barbara, patron saint of miners, particularly copper, is constructed on the medium size doll.  Completed she stands 10 inches tall.  I used real copper to cover the vertical supports and the doll herself.  Other areas were painted with copper metallic paint.  Once covered, the vertical struts were enhanced with copper grommets and brads.  To give everything the ages, weathered copper look, I used the Vintaj Patina kit and Martha Stewart Patina paint.  

She was so much fun to create.  And after I named her, it was even easier to decide how to enhance.  December 4th is the celebration day for St Barbara and on that day, branches of cherry twigs are placed in water and light so that they bloom on Christmas Day.  My branch for St Barbara is fashioned from copper wire with blooms to match the theme.


5 comments:

  1. How beautiful! The colors and design are fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. WOW!! She is gorgeous!!! Tell me, how did you make her face? She looks as if she wants to tell us something...so beautiful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanx for your kind words. Very insightful on the face. Now I wonder what she is thinking. Initially they had no faces but they just seemed incomplete and I wanted to have them blend rather than be brightly colored.

      I make the faces from polymer clay (Sculpy, Primo) in an Amaco mold. I was very lucky that the faces in the single mold fit all 3 of the Santos sizes from RCA. More to come with new heads.

      Delete
  3. Oh dear... You are so talented !! She is Gorgeous !!!! Cant stop admiring all the details !!! Wow... Impressive sense of putting the right things together. Thank you so much for sharing your art !!!
    Hugs from SPAIN

    ReplyDelete