Enchanted resin dolls have glass eyes

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And tiny eyelashes!

At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to give my resin dolls glass eyes, but once I found the right kind of eyes, I was won over. This in turn, allowed me to give these dolls real eyelashes, something I've always wanted to do, but was unable to due to the shallow surface area of porcelain eyelids. The eyes are tacked on with a sticky gum inside, which means they can be changed fairly easily. The head cap is magnetic and the head is removable from the rest of the body. The doll is strung up with elastic and it articulates and holds poses very well. I am very happy with the quality of resin and the soft, satin glow of the skin.

Tomorrow I'll shoot all my newly painted resin dolls and show you all of it!

Autumn 2012 Events Announcement

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Dear Friends, autumn is always a busy time for me. Art shows, fashion shows and doll shows tend to take place around this time and that's when I usually take Enchanted Doll on the road too. Right now I'm preparing for three events in three countries and have some really exciting news for you! Here is the scoop in a nutshell.

Speaking at the Emily Carry University of Art and Design, Vancouver BC, September 28th 2012

Using a compact and dynamic presentation format called Pecha-Kucha (chit-chat), I'll be giving a short (5 min) talk accompanied by 10 slides, along with 9 other Emily Carr alumni about my life and times as an artist since graduation. Anyone can attend this lecture, but you have to register here to reserve a spot. There will be some mingling and drinking afterwards. Come and see me and 9 others of my kind talk about ourselves!

International Doll Salon in Moscow, Russia, October 4-7th 2012

I've got two awesome things prepared for this event. First, I will be there in person to launch the first Russian-language edition of the Enchanted Doll art book! Awesome. Second, I will also be premiering a limited and experimental line of Resin Enchanted Dolls! Awesome, awesome. Only 20 resin dolls will be available at this convention. Also for the first time along with the dolls, I'll be bringing my collection of Enchanted Doll jewelery, such as lanterns, hand and face pendants etc, with me as well. Come and see me and my new projects! More info coming soon.

Pieceno Fashion Doll Convention in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, October 26-28th 2012

I feel very honored to have been invited as special guest to show my traveling porcelain collection at the new Pieceno fashion doll convention in Italy! And as a special treat to my Italian collectors, I will be premiering twenty Resin dolls there too! Alongside with Enchanted Doll jewelery and souvenirs. Come and see me and my dolls there!

Although it's going to be a jam-packed autumn, I am very excited about being a part of these events, as they represent a fulfillment of long time goals, dreams and projects.

Stand by for more info.

Photoshoot Day 4 - Video from NYC

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Day four has come and gone, and so the shoot has concluded. It was a very fun and challenging four days, as well as very inspirational as I learned a lot about what goes into a professional photoshoot. I had a great time working with the photographer Lacey.

The talented film-maker Benjamin Taft is in NYC with us, as he is working on a longterm project of filming a documentary about Enchanted Dolls (!!!!!). The NYC photoshoot will be a part of the film, and as a special treat he has already put together a short teaser video showing a bit of what went down in the studio. Click here to view it on Vimeo.

Photoshoot Day 3

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This is how our week has gone, spend the day in the studio, spend the night sightseeing in New York City. It has been such a blur at times, the overwhelming photography sessions followed by wandering around the overwhelming cityscape of NY. Both aspects have been so exciting and inspiring.

 

Photoshoot Day 1

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Day one of the photoshoot in New York for Vogue. I'm so jealous of all the studio photography equipment, so many different lights and stands and backdrops and the space, oh so much space. This is going to be so much fun!I'll try to post more behind the scenes photos as we go.

 

Enchanted Doll For Sale

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Salome is up for sale on eBay starting RIGHT NOW! The auction will last for 7 days. Click here for the auction page.

Here's the description from the listing:

Salome is a doll â„–2 in my Rubenesque body type series. I, Marina Bychkova, am the creator of this doll.

1.Sculpted with 18 points of articulation

2.Cast in fine porcelain

3.Painted and blushed with permanent, ceramic china paint

4.Strung up with 11 steel springs

5.Stands 14.5” (37.5cm) tall

6.Enchanted Doll™ Salome is sold with a floral tiara of sterling silver and mother of pearls, 2 magnetic mohair wigs (red and blonde) and a flexible custom stand.  Any other accessories seen in the pictures are for composition only and are not included in the auction.

Like all Enchanted Dollsâ„¢, Salome is built for playing. Leather lines her joints for smooth and even rotation while the unique jointing mechanism allows for a wide range of natural and sensual movements and poses. Her silky porcelain complexion and intricate china-painted features are completely resistant to UV radiation, scratches, cleaning chemicals, moisture, or dirt from extensive handling.

About your Enchanted Dollâ„¢

Due to the remarkable nature of fine porcelain, all Enchanted Dolls share strength and resiliency and require very little maintenance.  However, a reasonable degree of care must be taken in handling any and all porcelain objects gently to prevent impact with hard surfaces, which may result in a fracture. Always use the doll stand for safety and support when standing this doll. Due to the aesthetically small feet in relation to the rest of the body, Enchanted Dolls don’t balance well.

The surface of the doll can be safely washed repeatedly, but it should never be submerged in water so that the spring mechanism stays dry. If the water does get inside the doll don’t let it sit, blow-dry its joints as soon as possible.

Should the doll suffer a fracture in the fingers or extremities through an unfortunate accident, I offer a free repair policy for up to five separate parts (head not included), where the owner is only responsible for the shipping charges. As long as you handle your doll with reasonable gentleness, you are likely to never need my repair services. This doll will be your companion for many years to come.

Please feel free to ask me any questions about this doll or this auction. Thanks for looking and Happy Bidding!

Click here for Salome's auction page

Salome

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This composition was put together exclusively for a photograph. These accessories belong to me and will not be included in the auction. The idea came to me spontaneously while shooting the lovely nude Salome. When I momentarily looked away from the camera to stretch my back, my eyesight slid distractedly across some loose doll heads on my desk and then instantly shot back to them, this time focused and alert, as a light bulb went off in my head. I thought: "Ah, but of course. So obvious!

"The lantern crown is the third installment in my ongoing Light Series. I made it as an experiment 2 months ago but didn't have time to make a doll to wear it, so it sat in the drawer as if it was waiting for Salome. I think it works really well aesthetically and contextually, because for all we know, real Salome could have actually performed the traditional Middle Eastern Candelabra dance for King Herod.

It is a very heavy piece, borderline hazardous to the doll unless its center of gravity is perfectly balanced and that's why it's staying in my collection. Having said this, if somebody were just dying to have this piece for their doll to wear on display, I might be able to replicate it again.

Salome's tears were made for the photograph with quick drying jewelery glue. I dripped it on her face and then flaked it off after the shoot. It doesn't bond permanently to porcelain. I'm not sure why I made her cry. Felt right. So did putting electrical wires into the severed (originally John the Baptist's ) head. Make of it whatever you will.

Perhaps my Salome is a specter of the past and the future both, as the history always repeats itself.

Well, there you go folks. The auction starts tomorrow afternoon. See ya there.

 

Golden Slippers-new shoe style for Enchanted Doll

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I initially designed this pair of shoes for my Little Red riding hood doll. They are cast in sterling silver and plated with 14k gold. It's a combination of my favorite two styles of shoes: Kitten heels and Mary Janes, and so far, is the simplest, least ornate pair of shoes I've made. I was struggling with a very strong urge to decorate the heck out of them. Minimalism doesn't come naturally to me.

 

The light, shallow design was inspired by a drawing of my favorite artist Sulamith Wulfing. Here is a crop.

This pair fits both, the original foot and the slightly more elongated, Rubenesque foot. Which reminds me to remind you about the upcoming (Aug 23rd) ebay auction of Rubenesque doll â„–2-Salome, who is seen here strutting in a pair of Extravagance stilettos. They also fit a Rubenesque foot.So, do you like the new simple shoes, or are they a bit too plain?

Nude doll on Ebay today!

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Whoever guessed it would be the luscious redhead was right. Allow me to introduce Salome. She is my 2nd Rubenesque doll and she will be available on ebay later today.

Salome is a biblical figure and an icon of tragically dangerous beauty.

 

For two thousand years, Salome’s legendary sensuality has been inspiring generations of artists to depict her likeness on canvas, in sculpture and through poetry, as if guessing it would decipher her true motives. Some believe she was a murderess with an agenda, while others think her nothing but a teenage pawn in somebody else’s game. Her conflicting image is poignant and deeply compelling to our collective imagination.

I believe that our lasting infatuation with the mythical Salome is an expression of an inherent psychological and societal need to combine the beautiful with the grotesque.

More pictures and information about this sale are coming shortly.

 

Another nude for Vogue magazine

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This doll has a very different mouth than any other doll I've previously made. It's wide open, with visible little teeth. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, as I think it makes the face a bit more dynamic. But, of course not every doll can pull this expression off. I intend to continue experiments with different degrees of moth expressiveness.

So, could this doll be the one going up for sale next week? Or is it the next one? Or perhaps the previous one?

 

Recent Nudes for Vogue magazine

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Over the summer I've been working on 4 new dolls for an upcoming photo shoot for Vogue Japan.

Lolita is one of them, and next week I'll show you the others, one of whom will become available for sale next Sunday, Aug 19th. You'll have to guess which one.

Are you excited?