Growing up I was a few hours away from both sets of grandparents meaning I didn't see them as much. When I did visit my grandma would take me thrifting around South Sioux City Iowa and we would rummage around the flea market finding treasures, at least in her eyes. She was obsessed with dolls and had an extensive collection at the farm. Of course I played with many of them as a kid and then later inherited some of them when she passed. I went through a minimalism transition during which time I purged a lot of junk and collectibles from the past. I decided to create a tribute piece to my grandmother through this doll island diorama. I created this piece from scratch with the handed down dolls from my deceased grandma.
I sketched some ideas and drew on some inspiration from a doll island we discovered in Mexico City while traveling there. I then hand crafted the cardboard box diorama with painted background and 3D forest like decorations to create the scene. I then placed the dolls throughout along with small random items that came along with the doll accessories. I used paint and glitter to accent the scene while using a glue gun to adhere items to the box. I am now encasing it in a glass frame.
The final box diorama is quite the creepy doll island masterpiece. I love the final vibe and scary stage it sets as you look further into the depth of the box. The final encased glass should preserve the creation for some time.
I haven't fully decided the fate of this piece. As is par for my artistic course it has sat in my possession for some time, but I don't feel ready to let it go just yet. As I finish encasing it I hope to let that feeling go so as to take it to an exhibition or let it live with a new owner.
One foot deep in creative and one foot deep in the alpine. Designing solutions to solve big challenges & suffering in beautiful places.
