Roughly 10 years ago I traveled to the studio of Dianna Effner in Jamestown, Missouri.
I was there to teach her the art of reborning a vinyl doll.
The doll was her own sculpt, Huggy Bear.
It was her first vinyl reborn doll kit and not only did I have the honor of spending a week with Dianna to teach her (as if there was all that much I could teach this 40 year doll veteran...she ended up teaching me!)
I had the duo honor of bringing her Huggy Bear vinyl prototype to life.
He was who I worked on while Dianna worked on another Huggy Bear kit; one of her "artists samples".
We spent very long days and nights working on our dolls, all the while filming the work for an upcoming DVD Life-Like Reborning Course, a dream I had for several years before. Dianna offered her studio and the knowledge and help of her son, Ivan and Expressions to film, edit, create cover art and send to the publishers.
I have very fond memories of the time Dianna and I spent together. The food, the visits, the walks around Jamestown when we needed a break and the late night movie! Not only did she share her art and techniques with me, she taught me things outside of the studio about health and happiness. I traveled back home on November 7th, 2011
On November 16, 2011, I submitted my finished pictures of the Huggy Bear Prototype to post in their Expressions website store to sell the Huggy Bear kit, and on November 16, 2021, ten years later, one of Dianna's Huggy Bear artist samples arrived on my doorstep.
You see, Dianna left this earth, far too soon, on October 14, 2020 and recently her family began auctioning off her private collection.
This is not the Huggy Bear that Dianna worked on during my week there, but I believe to be one of them that she did after I returned home. (I saw the one she did while I was there on auction last week, but I had already won this one and didn't want to be a "hog" so I let that one go to another collector....I did not even bid.)
I am so honored to have this sweet girl join my collection and I will adore and cherish her until I leave this earth.
One of the things that a Dianna is known for are her painted eyes. I never attempted painted eyes but woweee could Dianna paint eyes, in 3-D! The Huggy Bear kit was available with empty eye sockets or paintable eye blanks.
My sweet girl has those famous painted eyes:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE how Dianna did "combo" hair on this baby. She painted underneath and rooted overtop yet she left some areas "rubbed" like a real baby would have after a month of so of age. It is so realistic!
I am over the moon with her!
Such an honor!
We did complete the DVD set. That too was such an honor and a huge effort on all of us!
I will never forget their kindness, their hospitably, their love.
I still have plenty of copies of the DVD for sale. I have revised it to accommodate for other painting systems and matte finishes.
So many emotions going on right now!
XXOO
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She's gorgeous Debbie! I have never seen painted eyes and if I were still painting dolls I might give it a try. I am sure it would never come close to what Dianna painted.
ReplyDeleteI love your new "baby" and I loved your post.
Thank you Mary!
DeleteI think that most of Dianna's dolls had painted eyes. Even this dolls lashes are painted and look 3-D and real!
Hugs!