My trip tp NIADA in Tennessee

I don't usually put a lot of text in this blog, but I had such a wonderful trip to Tennessee a couple of weeks ago that I thought I would share some of my experience there.  I went to the NIADA (National Institute of Doll Artists) conference held at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg to spend a week taking classes and learning from an amazing group of artists.

I took two classes, one with Leslie Molen to make an Asian doll, Ling-Li Hua, and another with Diane Keeler to learn to sculpt a child's head in polymer clay. I learned so much!  From Leslie, how to insert eyes in a fabric sculpted face and how to color the face with chalks.  And Diane was a wonderful teacher who taught me how to sculpt a realistic face from clay - something I had never attempted before.  This is my Ling-Li.

And this is an in progress photo of my clay head.

The keynote speaker at the conference was Elsa Mora, a wonderful artist from California.  Her blogs are delightful - she makes friends and shares her extraordinary talent so beautifully through her words and pictures.  I was so happy to meet her in person and to experience her artful, entertaining, and moving presentation at the conference.  Please go take a look at her blog(s).  You will make a new friend.  Here is a photo of Elsita and me.

The NIADA conference will be in Chicago next summer and I hope I can return to reconnect with all the beautiful artists and friends!