Playing with Dolls... Again

A continuation from earlier post Playing with Dolls

There is a great thrift store in Dallas, Oregon called H20 (Help and Hope to Others). They have two floors and the last time I was there they were overrun with a sea of old sofas. I will guess they are pretty cheap right about now. The place is known far and wide for being very affordable and a lot of local college students furnish apartments from there.

Upstairs in this 'junk heaven' is a large toy area. I go there when I feel the need to restock my 'creepy doll' collection and I can usually get a boxful for just a few dollars.
While sorting through the heap of stuffed animals, fast-food kids' meal prizes, and half-filled beach balls, I am looking for dolls that are 'just right'... those that have a face that only an artist could love. I imagine how they would look in a scanned image, gelatin monotype print, or a mixed media project.

Here are what I found on my last visit to H2O a couple of weeks ago. I photographed the dolls and then played with them on my flatbed scanner. Some I bought intending to dismantle and paint, but as it sometimes happens, I started to get attached to them as they are. I will work through this eventually but for now, here are the resulting images. Photographs on the left and scans on the right.

 Very soon I will post images of artwork I have done using some of my doll images.

This is an extra large (about 19”) fashion doll. The 'selling point' for this one was the sickly greenish head. It is a different plastic than the body but I believe it may be original.

There were lots of baby dolls like this, but this one has moving eyes and enough ageing to have artistic potential.

I know it is a keeper when I pick up a doll and say, “This is great!” This one had a lot of cuteness but I saw through that to the creepy possibilities.

The face on this one had its own haunting qualities.

When I found this, I knew it was going to be the find of the day. The eyes are brown with age, skin yellowing,... perfection!

A batch from last year.