The autumn season is upon us, and many of us observe the shifting light and cooler temperatures by outfitting our homes in the whimsical decor of the season: pumpkins, fairy lights, ghosts and other eerie beasties, and woodland creatures adorn our porches and mantels. In my home, my handmade witch art doll, created by Texas Renaissance Festival participant, artisan Kandra Niagra, takes place of honor, she seems to stand guard over my humble abode with wit and cleverness. Inspired by Kandra’s work, we reached out to her, as well as two more artists who create dolls that are nothing less than pure magic, perfect additions to any home, whether in this season of fall, or throughout the year.

Thanks to each of you for allowing us to introduce you to our readers. Please, how did you start as an art dollmaker?

Choe Winney, Mackenzie’s Dollhouse: I actually have a bachelors degree in acting and went to drama school in the UK where I studied character analysis and storytelling through theatre. Creative writing was… something I practiced for my own enjoyment, which eventually led me to taking creative writing lessons at the University of Arts London. It was soon after this that I started making dolls. I definitely believe [acting and writing] contribute to my ability to create characters that resonate with people and have solid stories and emotions behind them.

Kandra Niagra, Wee Peeple Doll Constructions: I began making dolls in college as a way to express myself. A little later down the road, it was suggested to me that I should start selling my hand-crafted dolls to the public.

Rhonda Mahan, Danse Macabre Menagerie: I had been scrolling through Pinterest and came across some handmade plush dolls that were a little more unusual and on the creepy side. Something about them caught my attention and I thought, “I could make something like that.” I love things that are beautiful but a little unconventional, with just enough darkness to make them interesting. What began as a small creative experiment eventually evolved into Danse Macabre Menagerie and, ultimately, the Gothlings.

What was the initial process like? Were you trained by mentors or teachers, or entirely self -taught?

Chloe: I watched quite a lot of videos and read blog posts on how to make stop motion puppets which is where the idea of using foam to bulk out the majority of my dolls’ bodies came from. While a lot of my clay and wire choices have shifted since starting, the foam has always stayed consistent in my work from the very beginning. When I first started out, I even wrote lists of things I wanted to improve after every doll and how I was going to achieve it. I’d definitely recommend doing this for any artist. Being critical of your own work and being able to identify weak points is pretty much essential for growing one’s skillset.

Kandra: Each doll is completely handmade from beginning to end. Each nose is hand-sewn and each face is hand-painted with acrylic paint. A 5/16-inch dowel is attached to a wooden stand and runs down from the head of each doll to ensure the doll is freestanding and sturdy.  The dolls are then stuffed with polyester fiber and draped with various fabrics and synthetic hair.

Rhonda: I have a post-secondary diploma in Fashion Design and Techniques, so I already had a strong foundation in sewing, patternmaking, and construction when I began making dolls. Plush-making itself, however, was something I learned entirely through trial and error… being self-taught in plush-making helped me develop my own style… but I had to figure out for myself how to make it do what I wanted. That process of experimentation eventually became the foundation for the Gothlings I make today.

Chloe, what’s a particular detail of the work that is both fun and challenging?

My favorite part of making my dolls is making their paper hair. I briefly experimented with using yarn on a few dolls but just didn’t think it fit the aesthetic of what I was doing and promptly went back to using paper. There is just something about it that I find I can put a lot of creativity into. It is quite a painstaking process depending on what kind of paper I use. I either use regular card paper or raffia depending on the level of detail and structure that I’m looking for.

Kandra (photos above), you’re a seasoned faire artisan, with years of experience in your craft and business. did you get your start? What do you love about working in the Ren fest world?

I displayed my dolls for the first time at a show at Galvez Mall in Galveston, Texas, in 1980 where I sold a total of 32 dolls. Three years later in 1983, I began my run at the Texas Renaissance Festival after receiving a nod of approval from the King himself. My favorite part about being a merchant at the Texas Renaissance Festival is being able to get immediate feedback from my customers. My most popular items in recent years have been my clothespin fairies, each one handmade and unique just like my other dolls.

Rhonda (photos above), which faires do you work, and what makes the faire world so special?

Currently, I work the Georgia Renaissance Festival, the New York Renaissance Faire, and the Louisiana Renaissance Festival… every faire has its own personality, traditions, patrons, and community, and those differences are part of what I like about this life.

Renaissance faires allow artists to create an experience. The booth, the signs, what we wear, how we speak about the Gothlings, and even the way someone “adopts” one can all become part of the experience. There’s also something very special about faire patrons. They understand handmade work, imagination, and eccentricity. You don’t have to explain why you’ve created a slightly strange orphan asylum full of plush creatures waiting to be adopted. Faire people tend to understand and embrace it.

Chloe, what was the first thing you ever made? What is your favorite thing you ever made?

The first thing I’d ever made was a pirate doll whose head I carved out of balsa wood. This was the first time I’d ever carved wood for a project, and I definitely struggled getting details into his face like I’m able to do with polymer clay. My favourite thing I’ve made was a recent character of mine called Tripp. He was based on one of my short stories, involving a young boy who lived alone in a lighthouse and was slowly losing his sanity. He’s by far the most complicated character I’ve made to date (seen above).

What are you currently working on/trying to master?

Rhonda: Scaling a handmade business without losing the thing that made people interested in it in the first place. As the business and the number of shows grow, you have to become a businessperson … suddenly you’re thinking about production schedules, inventory, pricing, staffing, displays, websites, social media, and a hundred other things that have absolutely nothing to do with sitting down and creating a doll. The challenge is learning how to make the business more efficient without allowing efficiency to strip away its personality.

Chloe: At the moment, I’ve been working on a few personal projects based on more of my short stories. These characters have all been jointed and fully posable, and I’ve been building different sets for the backgrounds of their photos. I want to make each photograph seem like it’s from a scene in a film. And the next thing I’m working towards is experimenting with stop motion. I’ve made a few professional ball-jointed armatures specifically for stop motion, but I have yet to get round to using them while balancing my business and other projects. I think it’s about time I got started on it, and I have a short story of mine that I’d definitely be interested in adapting. The story revolves around two kids growing up in northern Wisconsin and pulls directly from my own experiences growing up in the Midwest.

Kandra, what words of wisdom can you share with artisans who are just starting in this line of work?

While I enjoy the new customers that come to explore my artwork, I have a large number of returning customers as well. I have a column on my sales page for returning customers and I’ve found that I can have up to a 90 percent return rate. I also has more than 1,200 subscribers to my monthly newsletter. I like to keep in touch with my customers. They can see what I am doing in my everyday life and will come in and request something they may have seen in my monthly newsletter.

Chloe, what is the most challenging aspect of your business?

It’s definitely a challenge trying to find a balance between the many different roles involved in running my own business, while also finding time to work on my personal projects. As an artist, and now business owner, I have to wear quite a few hats simultaneously, like making the art for starters. Then comes invoicing and contracts for commissions, emailing, negotiating collaborations, packing and shipping all of my orders, updating my websites, and also running my social media and creating content. It’s definitely a hard balance to find but as a relatively new business owner I’m sure this will be easier to manage as I continue into the future.

Rhonda, do you have an especially memorable exchange with a patron?

There are two that have stayed with me, and both reminded me that once a Gothling leaves my hands, I really have no idea what role it might eventually play in someone’s life.

A mother once came back and told me about a Gothling named Teddy that she and her young autistic son had adopted a few years earlier. Teddy had become his companion and had gone everywhere with him—from school show-and-tell to family vacations. Hearing about all the places Teddy had been and how much this little doll I had made had become part of his world was incredibly special.

Another encounter was with a mother who had tragically lost her son in his early twenties. He had adopted one of my Gothlings the previous year, and she told me that she was taking his Gothling with her on a road trip in his memory.

Those encounters have stayed with me because when I’m sitting at a sewing machine making a doll, I can’t possibly know where it will eventually go or what it might come to mean to someone. I may have created the Gothling, but once it is adopted, its story really belongs to the person who takes it home.

That’s something I never anticipated when I began making dolls, and it has become one of the most meaningful parts of what I do.

What part of dollmaking do you love the most? What continues to inspire you about it?

Kandra: I have created over 10,000 soft sculpture dolls, each one being completely individual and different from the others. I want my dolls to be able to help people, and once they do that, I believe their destiny has been fulfilled.

Where to find them:

Chloe Winney: Instagram: ; TikTok: ; https://www.mackenziesdollhouse.com/ ; Portfolio – https://chloewinneyart.com/

Kandra Niagra: Facebook: @weepeepledollconstructions; https://weepeeple.com/

Rhonda Mahan: Instagram: @thegothlings; Facebook: @dansemacabremenagerie; TikTok:@dansemacabremenagerie; http://dansemacabremenagerie.com/

Kim Bryant is a veteran performer, educator, and writer. With 25 years teaching experience, an adjunct professorship in Theatre, and twenty years in the festival world, she brings a wealth of experience to LadyFaire Magazine. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Lubbock Christian University, a Master’s degree in Theatre from the University of Houston, and a Master’s degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University. Kim has studied at Actor’s Studio of Chicago, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and at New York’s Lincoln Center, and currently works in leadership for Disney Live Entertainment.