Creamsoda BJD artist Rhonda Ingram has been concentrating her energy on two lines of small dolls. Her newest doll line is called Ozarks. She has also returned to her Weebitz line and has just added a new doll named Sweet Clover. All of her dolls are created, cast, and finished by the artist in her studio in Mexico.
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Q: I remember the Boudoir Catrinas that you hand cast. Were they your very first resin casting project? Which of your dolls have you cast since then?
A: Yes, the Boudoir Catrinas In 2017 were my first molding and casting adventure. Since then I have done all my own work, including 17 BJD sculpts, many EzFeet shoes sculpts, and hats.
I am currently working on another sculpt for the WeeBitz line as well as 2 more Ozarks.
Q: Can you tell me about each line? What is the concept behind each series? Are they completely separate thematically, or related to each other?
A: Generally as an artist I get bored quickly and have many ideas waiting to be born, so I don’t often do “lines” or a series of dolls. That being said, I have done the WeeBitz line, cute Yo-SD size garden elves which have so far been 4 sculpts with 1 more to come. The newest series is called Ozarks and are Trollish elves, there are 6 sculpts, and will be a few more. I’m having fun with them. They are a fusion of BJD and art dolls allowing me to be a little extra creative, adding higher levels of detail into the sculpts.
Q: So are the Ozarks and the WeeBitz different creatures from the “same world”?
A: No, WeeBitz and Ozarks are distant cousins. WeeBitz are usually found collecting flowers or playing with butterflies in backyard gardens and dwelling in the forests and mountains of Yonder Land.
Ozarks consists of 3 clans currently and are always evolving and morphing with their vast environment.
Q: So the WeeBitz live in more domesticated places while Ozarks live in untamed places? As in placed rarely traversed by humans?
A: Exactly!
Q: Well, then let’s talk about all of your current projects. Can you tell me what dolls you have currently in-progress in order of their likely release?
A: I am just finishing up the shipping for Ozark Fleur and am close to finishing the new Ozark sculpt Ernst. Ernst has the most important task of bringing all the new Ozark wee ones into existence. Under the purple moon of Yonderland each is carved from a tiny piece of Elvenwood bark and then with a few well-placed splashes of paint the magic begins… I am planning for the release of Ernst soon. Also on my work table is the newest WeeBitz sculpt, Clover scheduled for release in late April. The studio is a very busy place these days, with projects going in the background as I have time. A couple of the bigger ones include designing kits and classes as well as continuing to work on building my doll, and art retreat here in Mexico which I hope to have open for winter next year.
Q: Is the artist retreat related to the structure you have been making with cement coils?
A: The “cement coils” are actually more eco-friendly cementless casitas. The building method is called Superadobe and simply put it is continuous rolls of sandbag fabric filled with soil and stacked into a dome shape. Though they can be made in any shape you like. These have been built all over the world as eco-homes and also in countries as an aid for people that have lost their homes due to natural disasters. This type of structure is fireproof, earthquake-proof, floodproof, hurricane-proof, and also pesky insect-proof. I can tell you that being in Mexico where pretty much every house is built from concrete I have been getting many raised eyebrows. I was even asked if I was building bread ovens…. hahaha. After the structure is finished the plaster is also dirt stabilized with lime so it doesn’t wash away. Building these is second nature for me because it’s sculpting but on a grand scale and very artistic. Of course, the whole process is more detailed, but this is the basic principle.
I will be building 2 more casitas on the same property and also a pool and some studio space all out of the same earth-filled bags.
I will be opening the space as an art and doll retreat. I will have guest artists offering destination classes as well as myself giving classes… everything doll. I also have an amazing chef coming from Peru to delight us with mini Peruvian cooking classes. Of course, there will be some excursions built in as well to explore some of this beautiful country. A few weeks a year we will be doing this gratis because I want to give back for the support my collectors have given me over the past 16 years or so.
Q: Also, tell me more about these kits you are making?
A: I will be producing some kits for poseable dolls with pre-sculpted parts as well as kits with supplies only, for those that want to do their own sculpting. Both versions will come with instructional videos similar to the kits I have sold on Amazon in the past. I don’t expect to have them ready until July or August. It depends on the summer. That’s low season here and super hot and humid with the occasional hurricane.
Q: How is your supply of resin holding up?
A: So far I have been doing alright with the resin supplies. I use the best resins out of the United States with a rep in Mexico City. Since the shortages, they are good about letting me know when they have some stock in and I snap it up. So far I have been able to keep ahead of any issues. Being in a country where you can’t just run to the nearest Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, I have gotten accustomed to working with what I have. This is another reason I make all of my own parts. It’s not so easy to just buy them. Even with online purchases, customs fees in Mexico are extreme and can easily double or triple the cost of supplies so I try to avoid that if possible.
CreamSoda BJD WeeBitz and Ozarks Facebook Group
Previous article on Rhonda’s Boudoir Catrinas
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Weebitz Sweet Clover:
Previous Weebitz Dolls:
Ozarks:
Adobe Casita:
