Johnston Original Art Dolls

We are currently developing a new program for our artdolls.com "Gallery". It will allow artists from all over the world to enter their sculptures into our "Gallery" themselves, without charge. There will be a computer grading system to judge the skill level of the dolls. The grading system will rate the dolls with one to five stars. The grading will be done by the viewers and then automatically averaged to assure that the best dolls come to the front of the "Gallery" and the beginners go to the bottom. This seems like a very fair way to let everyone be seen and judged by the collectors and fans around the world. It should be up and running by Fall of 2007. If you have any ideas about this concept please respond with a post. We are spending a great deal of time and money on the new program, so additional input from all of you will be helpful. If you have an idea that is better, we will listen. Thanks, Jack

I know that we don't know each other too much but you are a mentor of mine.That was the best rejection letter ever!!!And I would be proud to join you.Thank you for your confidence in me.Is ther a place where I would be able to show my workon this site? And another qiuck question.With the sujects I'm tackling what would be the prefect for my artdolls?Thanx ,Michelle

I'm so pleased to hear of your decision to become a professional doll maker. You may start by joining the Professional Doll Makers Art Guild, Just call 800-949-1334 and speak with Elizabeth. She will be pleased to help you join the Guild. Once you are a member of the Guild you should plan to attend one of the nations major doll shows with the Guild and show your work. If you have any questions please call me personally at 800-290-9998. Thanks and good luck. Jack

Jack ,I just wanted you to know that your critiques spawnd something amazing.Because of you I decided to get my business license,tax I.D. number,and business cards.I also was named as one of ten top emerging artist of Marion county and will be featured in Ocala Mag's September issue.I found out that morning I received your letter.That was the best letter!!!I cried.I have the confidence now to try out for your guild and NIADA.I also made a business decision to use my maiden name as my artist name because its not common so I will stand out more! So Thank you from the bottom of my heart!Michelle Corvison

Thanks Joe, we have mailed all of the critiques from the contest to each of the contestants. We do not intend to put a list of the honorable mention artists this year, but that is something we can do for next year. We have a new Gallery section being developed for us as of this writing. The new Gallery section will have a section in it that will allow artists from around the world to put their sculpture in our Gallery by them selves. Once the new photo is placed in the Gallery it will have a grading form that all viewers will be able to click on and grade each new doll. The grades will then be averaged and one to five stars will be shown under the photograph. You may see a sample of the new Gallery by clicking on Flaherty.artdolls.com. This is a new web site that we have built for the East Coast of the USA. Try it out and let me know what you think. The interactive portion of the Gallery is not turned on yet, but you can see the finished grades on each photo.

Hello Jack, It was very nice meeting you and everybody else at the Expo and the art guild annual meeting. How wonderful it was to talk and share few things with everyone!!! I was wondering, now that the expo is over. Will you still included the honorable mentiones in the web winner page? will you posted the scores on critiques that lead to winning the contest or is this just person to person scores. Thank for your times, and Thanks for admiting me into The Professional Doll Makers Art Guild! Looking foward to meeting all of you again. Joe MacPhale

We normally have honorable mentiones, but we simply ran out of time to include them. The day we finished selecting the winners we loaded on a plane and flew to the EXPO Doll and Teddy Bear Show in Washington, D.C. I had so many wanting the results as soon as the contest was over that we raced to get the results out to everyone. Next year I may have the results come out two weeks after the contest so I can include the honorable mentions. There were so many wonderful dolls this year that it was hard to show all of them.

I was wondering that as well.

Just curious, in previous contests I see Honorable Mention and none mentioned this year, will you still have this catagory? The sculptures are really great again congratulations to all of the winners!

"The contest really motivates as well...I hope you keep having them! Or at least until I win one!" Me, too Angelique!

Just wanted to say <> to all the winners--what great sculptures! Also, thank you Jack for your helpful critiques, I was excited to see I did a lot better than last time! You gave me some very good tips as well and I appreciate it very much. It's so nice to have this avenue to help us improve in our skills. The contest really motivates as well...I hope you keep having them! Or at least until I win one! ;)

The question is asked, when am I an advanced sculptor. I think it is best to think of making dolls like playing the piano. I wouldn't consider myself an advanced pianist if I had only played the piano ten times or even twenty times. I wouldn't think of myself as a professional until I was making a living playing the piano. If you are supplimenting your income (substantially) making dolls, then you may be a professional. Don't grade yourself too high on the scale of being advanced or a professional until you are one. I consider myself to be a professional doll maker, but that is how I make my living. Mark Dennis, Reva Schick, Heldigard Gunzel, Lisa Lichtenfels and Robert Tonner are professionals. Members of the Professional Doll Makers Art Guild who show their dolls once a year may be professional, but they may also be advanced doll makers. Take your time as a beginner, build your skill, don't worry about being a professional just yet. Your time will come with practice. Your friend, Jack

Amazing work!!! A well deserved congratulations to all the winners!! The winners each year never fail to impress me to no end. I am always particularly blown away by the winners in the beginners catagory. It is such high quality work. How does one decide when they are no longer a beginner? When they have made a certain number of dolls? three dolls? ten dolls? twenty dolls? Or is it based on on how long one has been sculpting, for example people who have been sculpting under a year or two are beginners?

Thanks Anna, you may now see the winners in the Gallery section of this website. Congratulations to all. Great contest! Jack

Thank you, Jack and the forum. I feel very honored to win the 2nd place. I really appreciate all the critique and the time you put in the contest, Jack. I am looking forward to see the winners' gallery soon. Warm regards, Anna Hardman

Congratulations everyone! I am so looking forward to seeing the winning sculptures! I am going to the Expo in Washington this weekend so will be on the lookout for a copy of the Johnston Original Artdolls 4th quarter newsletter. Thank you Jack for holding the contest, I really appreciated the critiques, and am looking forward to seeing all the artists work in your booth at the Expo. Maggie

Congratulations to you all. Can't wait to see all the hard work! Linda

Thank you Jack, and those involved in judging this contest! Wow what an honor to be named second place! It is such an encouragement to go and do some more sculpting! Kind regards Ros Schramm

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!! To you all!! I cant wait to see all this art work!! Hugs Belinda

We are proud to announce the winners of the annual ProSculpt Scholarship contest. You may see their photos at www.artdolls.com in the ProSculpt Scholarship gallery later on this week. For now, I can only give you their names. The numbers beside their names will correspond with the photos in the new Johnston Original Artdolls 4th quarter newsletter. The newsletter will be handed out at the EXPO Doll and Teddy Bear show in Washington, D.C. this week end (10-11 of August). Great dolls, I know you will enjoy them! Beginning Catagory: (1) First, Elean Loukianova, Moon Ride. (2) Second, Anna Hardman, Aquamarine. (3) Third, Collette Hatch, Miss Helen. Advanced Catagory: (4) First, Jonathan Hoffman, Grandpa. (5) Second, Lynda Dunham-Watkins. (6) Third Place, Misty Auld, WildFae. Baby Catagory: (7) First Place, Jen Printy, Precious Baby (8) Second Place, Ros Schramm, Loxleigh (9)Third Place, Tasha Edenholm, Joey Professional Catagory: (10) 1st, Tatiana Tofaneto, Christmas Fairy (11) 2nd, Linda Gillum, Which Pair (12) 3rd, Bev Young, Star Light Star Bright