It’s Finally Here!

The November issue of DOLL CASTLE Magazine is finally out and on the front cover you’ll find a vignette called “The Doll Maker”. I worked on this commission over several months. It’s more than a portrait commission, it’s the life story of Denis Bastien, the founder and “Dad” of the Leeann Doll.

Even though it was finished during the summer, both Denis and I couldn’t talk about it too much because it had been accepted as the feature image on the magazine cover. The November issue also includes a great story about Denis as well as a feature article about my journey as an artist.

Commissions can be somewhat stressful for an artist, but this one was so much fun to do because Denis was involved – not with the sculpting but with the story telling. During these Covid months, we had several visits on my front porch and loads of emails where he shared photos, his stories and experiences. I tried to capture these memories within the vignette, from his early childhood and what led to creating the Leeann Doll to his relationships with family and friends.

Denis and I were already friends and have collaborated on my limited edition Elves, but the experience of working with him on “The Doll Maker” has been inspiring. He is a complex and highly creative man and as I peeled away the layers of his life experiences I uncovered many things I didn’t know about him as well as the reasons for his success.

Watch the YouTube video for a look at how this vignette was made and all the steps that went into creating “The Doll Maker”.