I Desexualize And Repaint Second-Hand Fashion Dolls To Look Like Real-Life Women
As a young girl, I have always felt that I could not relate to the dolls I was given to play with, so I would end up making my own cute dolls using plasticine or clay. In my creative works, later on in life, I have added clay to fashion dolls to enlarge them in my “Barb Plus More” art projects. I would cast their reliefs onto walls in plaster or mold them into silicon rubber to make dolls of various body types. These projects focused on the subject of the “Body Beautiful” and what was accepted in the world we live in. I wonder if I had a doll that resembled a real girl when I was young, whether I still would have grown up with a low impression of my body shape, which made me yoyo diet all my life?
Desexualizing, upcycling, and repainting fashion dolls has been something I am passionate about. I customize each old doll to resemble the person they are commissioned for and even add birthmarks or scars on the doll, helping the child to accept the marks on their body that define each one’s individuality. I have also been known to add sculpted prosthetic limbs to dismembered dolls, so no discarded doll gets left unloved!
With up-cycling second-hand dolls, I am able to marry all my skills into one project and transform these little discarded toys, from head to toe, into the true and REAL beauties they deserve to be.
It is a pure delight working on these dolls for girls. After their original faces are wiped off using acetone and re-painted, their individual characters come to life, which makes them all one of a kind and a special gift for any child who wants a toy they can relate to.
Materials used on the faces of these repainted dolls are watercolor pencils and acrylic paint which is then sealed with non-toxic varnish. The shoes are detachable, hand-painted, resin casts made from molds of sculpted shoes or feet, to fit the Bratz or Moxy doll. Their clothing has been specially made to fit the realistic dolls perfectly and is 100% cotton. Collaborated with “Sunny House Craft” on some of the outfits.
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Bee Real Dolls
Group shot of some of the girls before they headed off to their new homes.
Victoria Doll
Veronica has little victory rolls and faux fringe. Well the hair, this was a challenge to get smooth! I had to boil wash and comb repeatedly a few times to loosen up the matted hair than when it was at a workable stage, I then set the hair in small rollers. She also has a pretty, vintage-inspired, buttoned-up dress with handmade yellow shoes.
Christina
Christina has stunning green eyes and golden brown Mohair which was boil washed to achieve the style she has now. She has a pretty little red, polka dot top, white floral cotton dress with blue buttons at the back. Her shoes are handmade casts then painted red using acrylic paint.
Betty
Betty has golden blonde, wavy hair with her hair twisted back into a ponytail and has little victory rolls in the front. The hair was boil washed to create the style it’s in now. She has an adorable gingham, button-up top, denim skirt with buttons at the back, and handmade shoes.
Aida
Aida has pretty afro hair, put into bunches with ribbons. The hair was boil permed using pipe cleaners to create the style it’s in now. She also has a sunny dress with handmade red shoes with lacy socks.
Maria
Maria has red-brown, straight hair with her hair brought back at the top. The hair was boil washed to create the style it’s in now. She also has 2 cute outfits, a little dress with crochet top, knee-high jeans and red polka dot top and handmade shoes.
Rose
Rose has gorgeous wavy golden hair. The hair was boil permed to control the style it’s in now. She also has a beautiful white, lace ballet dress with pale pink netting, a crochet pink cardigan with pearl buttons, handmade ballet slippers.
Elsie
Elsie has brown, straight hair with her hair brought back into a bun at the top with ribbon and has a little victory roll in the front. The hair was boil washed to create the style it’s in now. She has a little pink, polka dot dress with peter pan collar and handmade shoes.
Ella
Ella has pretty golden, wavy hair, put into a low ponytail with ribbon. The hair was boil permed to create the style it’s in now. She also has a sunny dress with added netting underskirt to give it more puff and handmade yellow shoes painted like sling backs.
Sonia
Angelina
Angelina has brown eyes and ashy brown, straight hair which was boil washed to achieve the style she has now. She has a fetching, 50’s inspired, red halter neck, cotton dress with black polka dots. Her shoes are handmade casts then painted black with white polka dots using acrylic paint.
Sylvie
Their little characters come through whilst re-painting each doll, I have no planning for them, just start with their eye shape, and there I go. Sylvie has gorgeous straight golden hair. The hair was boil washed then a fishtail pleat was added to the style it’s in now. She also has a cutesy cupcake print, ballet skirt with pale pink netting, a crochet purple cardigan with buttons, handmade ballet slippers. Oh and a little pink, crochet knickers also as her skirt is quite short!
Becky
Day out on the beach in Cornwall
The Spanish triplets having fun on their holiday, on the beach in Hayle, Cornwall.
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It is heart breaking to see how sexualized the toy companies are. Kudos to this artist who saw this medium for her much appreciated art!
I consider this adapting the dolls to reality, not desexualizing them. By calling it 'desexualizing', you are stating that its all right to sexualize women based on their choice of make and clothing - bad/sexual = big & bold & shiny, good/not sexual = meek & mild & 50's feminine. If you want to 'desexualize' these dolls, their gender should not be apparent. Call this what it is - altered art, mixed media, whatever. Just don't try to pass it off as positive body promoting because it body shames just as much as the actual dolls.
This woman is an inspiration for me,a modern renaissance artist,if there's an idea that needs to be pushed,worked and developed with intense commitment this artist can achieve absolutely amazing and beautiful results in which ever medium. Keep on keeping on and thank you for all that you do.
Lmao real women don't wear this sh!t unless your a Boomer or a part of som conservative cult like Mormons or Amish. What real life woman haveAll of these comments give off that stale energy. Idk what's sexualized when Bratz and other lines are based of today's YOUNGER people fashion and ALL dolls are TEENS & KIDS. So idk wtf you're talking about women...Yikes, Conservative Boomerism. Clearly some Boomer Karens
These are all so amazing, and unique! I was never used to play with dolls, because they looked so bleuh. This is incredible! You are amazing!
Well, a son or non-binary child would probably play with a doll,too.
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The black girl has blue eyes? Black is beautiful, brown eyes are beautiful.
They are so beautiful without make-up, hairstyles, and other "drugs". They are natural, and almost human like. Great work! ;)
i love this and want to rush off and do it myself. that's how much i like. of course, i wouldnt actually do.:)
Go for it and have a go at re-painting Karenza, that's the point of this post, to inspire fellow artists to get involved in the cause. Let's make dolls that will make the right impression on the children. Have fun doing it.
Load More Replies...
even if your work is well done, i think you should tell that CHANGE TREE DOLL made it before ! (and not to make benefits on it! )
Repainting dolls is actually quite common, look up some in deviantart. I also repainted some of my old barbie dolls, this is like many other things not something that can have a copyright or similar.
Load More Replies... even if your work is really well done, i think you should tell that CHANGE TREE DOLL made it before you !!! (and not to make benfit on it! )
wonderful dolls, the vintage inspired ones especially, i haven’t seen any like those before. So much loving detail!
Very refreshing to see I'm not the only one that cannot stand some of the dolls they make now days. You do really great work!
Such a fantastic idea! As a girl (and a budding hardcore realist even then) I rejected dolls and other toys on the very same basis. Now the same needs to be done to the rest of the terrible US culture.
These are wonderful and so affirming for a young girl! I hope you can go commercial and reach more children who are being fed the exaggerated images. We'd love to know how you actually do it!
It is heart breaking to see how sexualized the toy companies are. Kudos to this artist who saw this medium for her much appreciated art!
I consider this adapting the dolls to reality, not desexualizing them. By calling it 'desexualizing', you are stating that its all right to sexualize women based on their choice of make and clothing - bad/sexual = big & bold & shiny, good/not sexual = meek & mild & 50's feminine. If you want to 'desexualize' these dolls, their gender should not be apparent. Call this what it is - altered art, mixed media, whatever. Just don't try to pass it off as positive body promoting because it body shames just as much as the actual dolls.
This woman is an inspiration for me,a modern renaissance artist,if there's an idea that needs to be pushed,worked and developed with intense commitment this artist can achieve absolutely amazing and beautiful results in which ever medium. Keep on keeping on and thank you for all that you do.
Lmao real women don't wear this sh!t unless your a Boomer or a part of som conservative cult like Mormons or Amish. What real life woman haveAll of these comments give off that stale energy. Idk what's sexualized when Bratz and other lines are based of today's YOUNGER people fashion and ALL dolls are TEENS & KIDS. So idk wtf you're talking about women...Yikes, Conservative Boomerism. Clearly some Boomer Karens
These are all so amazing, and unique! I was never used to play with dolls, because they looked so bleuh. This is incredible! You are amazing!
Well, a son or non-binary child would probably play with a doll,too.
Load More Replies... The black girl has blue eyes? Black is beautiful, brown eyes are beautiful.
They are so beautiful without make-up, hairstyles, and other "drugs". They are natural, and almost human like. Great work! ;)
i love this and want to rush off and do it myself. that's how much i like. of course, i wouldnt actually do.:)
Go for it and have a go at re-painting Karenza, that's the point of this post, to inspire fellow artists to get involved in the cause. Let's make dolls that will make the right impression on the children. Have fun doing it.
Load More Replies... even if your work is well done, i think you should tell that CHANGE TREE DOLL made it before ! (and not to make benefits on it! )
Repainting dolls is actually quite common, look up some in deviantart. I also repainted some of my old barbie dolls, this is like many other things not something that can have a copyright or similar.
Load More Replies... even if your work is really well done, i think you should tell that CHANGE TREE DOLL made it before you !!! (and not to make benfit on it! )
wonderful dolls, the vintage inspired ones especially, i haven’t seen any like those before. So much loving detail!
Very refreshing to see I'm not the only one that cannot stand some of the dolls they make now days. You do really great work!
Such a fantastic idea! As a girl (and a budding hardcore realist even then) I rejected dolls and other toys on the very same basis. Now the same needs to be done to the rest of the terrible US culture.
These are wonderful and so affirming for a young girl! I hope you can go commercial and reach more children who are being fed the exaggerated images. We'd love to know how you actually do it!
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