Published

Congratulations to Clay Improv Member Debbie Walter. Her doll Punk Rock Girl was selected as part of the "I am Woman" challenge in the Autumn 2017 issue of Art Doll Quarterly.

Way to go Debbie!

Clay Improv at the Quincy Quilt Show

The group hosting the Quincy Quilt show in Quincy, California stopped by our tables at the Portola Quilt Show. They invited us to display at their show as well. Since we had so much fun at the first show we were happy to commit to theirs.

This time we had a single table. We were warmly received and had a wonderful time talking to people as they stopped by. Our display was unlike any other and it was exciting to be able to share our love for figurative sculpture and the art of the doll.

Once again the quality of work displayed for the quilt show was stunning. Not only did we get to share our passion we were surrounded by art the entire day.

We plan to attend both quilt shows again if they will have us.

Latest Dolls

Here is the latest group of dolls created by Debbie Walter, one of our members:

Tiny Elfin Doll 1 - ArtDolls Contest

Tiny Elfin Doll 2 for above contest

Mermaid Princess

Published!

Congratulations to Christine Shively and Jan Harston who were both published in the May/June/July 2017 issue of Art Doll Quarterly Magazine.

Jan's doll was selected as part of the County Fair challenge and Christine wrote an article about creating a decorative stand for your doll.

Way to go Christine and Jan!

Clay Improv invited to the Portola Quilt Show

We were honored to be asked to exhibit our dolls at the Petalum Quilt show this past weekend. We set up a couple tables and had dolls from several of our members on display and for sale.

Clay Improv Sale Table

Clay Improv Display Table

Created by Sherri

Created by Debbie

Created by Sherrie

Created by Laurie

Created by Jan

The response to our work was even better than expected. People were fascinated by the dolls, appreciated the workmanship and asked lots of questions. We had a great time talking to people about the art of the doll and also spending time with fellow artists. The quilts on display was beautiful and the quality of work was inspiring.

Clay Improv Hosts - Kate Church

In January our group was honored to host the extraordinary Kate Church to Portola. If you have ever met Kate you know she is as authentic and friendly as they come. Here are some of the things we created over the course of a few days:

Group Shot

Created by Lala

Created by Debbie

Kate Church - horse figure

Created by Lala

Fox 

We had a great time and learned so much. Hopefully we get to do it again soon!

Inspiration

Sometimes inspiration comes from outside the studio. This year my youngest graduated and we took him to Ireland and Scotland. Here we are kayaking on Loch Ness. The beauty and lore surrounding the Loch are infectious, you can't help keeping one eye on the water waiting for Nessie to appear.

Blarney Castle

Another inspiring place was Blarney Castle. This castle ruin is surrounded by lush gardens and hidden pathways. We climbed up to the battlements and kissed the Blarney Stone, then explored the gardens and paths for several hours. In the rain. With two 18 year old boys who had as much fun as we did. Fairies and dragons and witches were dancing through my dreams that night. 

Live music at the Guinness Brewery

Dublin

Dublin, Ireland is full of history. The Book of Kells and the Guinness Brewery share this city, as do the Leprechaun museum, pubs, restaurants, street musicians and people from around the world. We heard many different languages while walking through Dublin. Some were familiar, some not so much. Lots of inspiration to be had here.

Finally, for someone who is not a fan of flying, seeing that I am flying from Ireland to Scotland in a plan that has a propeller was... lets say not the highlight of my day. The inspiration came for me when we were in the air, a steady hum from the propeller, and a view that went on forever. There I was, flying over the sea, on an adventure. When ever I am feeling blocked creatively I look at this picture and think about how I felt at the start of that journey.