~Noble Dolls~

By Doll Artist Cécile Omnes (Asella)

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For as long a time as I can remember, I always lived in a house where toys were very appreciated.  My grandmother adored to sew cuddly toys and rag dolls, my aunt collected all dolls and my mother acquired pieces of furniture for a doll’s house. When I was younger, I liked to play with dolls, but not as much as the other little girls. I liked much more the toys for boys, like plastic animals. I started to be very interested in dolls when I discovered figurines in 1/6 scale when I was almost 18 years old. I found by chance a small  Obitsu in a shop in Paris, and I was fascinated with the possibility of customization of this toy. I discovered the BJDs shortly after when a friend showed me her dolls.

It was love at first sight! I had to wait several years before being able to obtain one myself. I spent long months comparing all the existing companies and finally deciding to buy the “El”, of Cerberus Project, sold at Luts at that time. I received him on December 25, 2005. I still have him today. I started to try to make my own doll shortly after receiving this first. The first tests were not profitable, and the only thing that  I have kept from this time is a head of a horse, for a 65 cm body (but I never completely finished it).

The first BJD completed was Lysbeth, a mature tiny of 27 cm. I was thinking that this size would be easier to realize, but over time I realized that for me, the smaller it is, the more it is difficult. I have a preference for the tiny size, but my experiments with Raspberry make me think that I will continue in the 1/4 size.

The one who supported me since my first doll is (fellow doll artist) Enaibi, my very dear friend. After Lysbeth, I decided to work on an anthro, those from the BJD companies were adorable but had a body too babyish for me. Thus I made a rabbit, a pony, and a cat, sold under the label Noble Dolls like all my other dolls after them. The prototypes of these were constructed in Fimo clay. My other models were made out  of Ladoll. I tend to work with simply a cutter and sandpaper and tools, although that is not the most obvious method. I think it is best not to stick systematically to the existing methods; each one gives their best self with the tools that he prefers. In the same way, I tend to work without making very a thorough sketch. I work with feeling, following what feels right to further advance my work. The only things that are imposed on me are the size of the eyes, the wigs and the feet. I want that the accessories of my dolls to be easy to find so that the owners do not have difficulty finding what they like for their dolls. I like full curves and a small waist. The majority of French artist dolls have very narrow shoulders, very broad hips. For my part, I prefer for my creations to have more balanced silhouettes, with the shoulders a little broader.

Raspberry, the doll which will soon be available at Jpop Dolls, is a young lady of 41 cm, whose measurements approach those of a Minifée, from Fairyland.  l wanted her to pose well, with pretty curves. I like when BJDs that I buy have the possibility of putting their hands in front of their faces, so  I make it pose that way on mine. I hesitated a long time before seeking to make my dolls by someone other me; until now I did it myself in my house. I currently cast many of my models. My production remains limited, owing to the fact that I am alone and I wanted Raspberry available in greater numbers. I proposed her to Jpop Dolls, which agreed to carry her. Raspberry is Rhubarb’s big sister, a small doll of 28 cm that I have made previously. I wanted to keep some of the same dimensions as the childish face while being more mature, more “adult”. One can say that for this one, the source of direct inspiration was the smaller version. I tried as much as possible to stick to Rhubarb’s design, but older. For the small one, I wanted something nice, but with not too large large eyes, and a beautiful pulpy mouth. For the moment, Raspberry has only one available face but in the future maybe I ‘ll sculpt her with another expression, or different parts. Raspberry will be available in 4 colors: normal, white, light tan, and tan at Jpop Dolls.

I have several projects for the future, some of which I will sell myself and others that will be available at Jpop Dolls. I have in my head a plan to make a boy this time, and he can be another animal. For the moment, I am working on my orders, so I can’t advance my projects, but  I have Ladoll which awaits me and with which I am in a hurry to be able to play. In any case, I do not plan to stop creating dolls!

Photos above ~ Lace Rhubarb inspired by Marmite Sue, Blue Raspberry, photos by Limë

Noble Dolls

Asella Dolls on Flickr

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