Who's Your Dada? Who's your Dolly Toilet Paper Cozy!

So as promised back in this post that includes a photo of my first inspiration piece from Who's Your DADA? and my raw material doll, here is my first Dada Doll who also happens to be a toilet paper cozy!

I simply cut the head, arms and legs from the torso.

Drilled holes through the arms, legs and coffee container and then secured them with screws. This allows them to be posable!

I then glued the head on the lid and dressed up the bonnet with some black lace.

The final touch was to put brass knuckles in one hand and scissors in the other and of course bunny ears cut from a white recycled wool sweater.

I am positively in love with this book:

Who's Your DADA?
Redefining the Doll through Mixed Media
By
Linda O'Brien and Opie O'Brien

Inspired by the "Dada" notion of making art from materials that would not typically be combined or expected to go together, and driven by a similar sense of irony and humor, this exciting book by Linda and Opie O'Brien shares their unique approach to making mixed-media dolls. It is not only a "must have" volume for anyone interested in found object art and the human form, it is a thoughtful and provocative exploration of the power, symbolism, and cultural significance of dolls and representational figures.

The authors share detailed techniques for using surface embellishments, creating faces, heads, and limbs, using molds and molding products, and building and transforming disparate objects into whimsical, inspiring dolls. Starting with a variety of substrates--a wood block, a canvas, a tin can, a book, and a box construction--readers are guided step by step through five types of doll constructions.

Included:

-Complete instructions for making a box construction doll, a wood block substrate doll, a two-sided canvas frame doll, a tin can doll, and a book doll

-Numerous variations on each of the core projects for further experimentation

-An inspiring gallery of mixed-media dolls from leading artists who discuss their methods and share their very personal answers to the question: "What is a doll?"

Originally from New York City, Linda and Opie O'Brien are full time artists living on Lake Erie in Ohio with their cat Angelus and his cat Angel. They teach workshops nationally and internationally. Their work includes jewelry, Dada dolls, artist books, assemblage, collage, masks, music, and more, and has been featured in numerous books, magazines, galleries, exhibitions, solo shows, museum gift shops, and private collections.

Be sure to come on back, subscribe to this blog or follow it on Twitter or Facebook so you are sure not to miss my next Dada piece, it is coming along great and will look fabulous out in the yard with the Halloween decorations!

Comments

[senoramuertos]

I love what you did! I am inspired to make one of my own. I have almost the exact same doll that was mine sitting in the attic now. Woo hoo!

[Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor]

Maybe I'm a Wuss, but if I used the bathroom in the middle of the night, I'd probably jump out of my skin if I saw that toilet paper cozy! I'd be afraid she'd try and cut my hair with those scissors! LOL You must have a pretty good sense of humor. The brass knuckles are too funny! :-)

[Karen Sugarpants]

We loved your doll at Craftastrophe so we featured it!

[Margaret]

Where the heck do you get dollsized brass knuckles?

[MonkeyGurrl]

Holy crap. I LOVE your Dada TP cozy!! We had that *exact* set of containers when I was a kid (flour, sugar, coffee... I can't remember each one), oh-so-many years ago. Coupled with the mutilated doll and the brass knuckles, that is PERFECT. I also want to know where you got those brass knuckles!