 Audrey |
I love Audrey Hepburn -- and who doesn't? She has such a lovely face that is strong and sensitive at the same time. Those eyes! You would think she is an easy one to make because she has such a characteristic look, but oh, oh, oh, she is NOT! I tried to make Roman Holiday version, and the body and the costume came out well, but not the face and hair. I will try to approach her differently next time. Maybe I should try BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S? What do you think? |
 Audrey |
 Maria Callas |
Maria Callas is one of the most intriguing women of our time. You look at her and you see that dramatic tragedy no matter what the reality may be. I often wonder how she might have felt to live in the 20th century with a face like that -- it obviously does not belong to her own time but to the ancient Greece and mythical times. It worked great with her theatrical presence, but I have the feeling that she probably had moments to long for being, let's say, Audrey Hepburn, a beautiful modern fairy and a fashion icon loved by everyone. Their resemblance is striking when you look at their facial features, but then, the overall impression you get from them are completely opposite. After all, she was a young woman, and she struggled to secure happiness as a woman through marriage, bitterly losing it to another, and probably larger, iconic figure of her time. Should I present her as a woman, or as an operatic figure? ...I can't make up my mind. What do you think? |
 Tosca |
 Jackie O |
Jackie Kennedy. Or Jackie Onasis. Her last name doesn't matter. She is Jackie. The most stylish, elegant woman of our time. It seems that she had everything and she deserved it all, until her last day. The Kennedy dynasty ceased to exist with her passing even though it lingered for a while with the hope of this absolutely perfect, gorgeous looking young heir may be able to create a legend of his own with his stylish and wise "queen". Alas, however, he was not allowed to survive to see the glory. What do you think? |
 Jacklene Kennedy |
 Tinuviel |
I have taken a shot at her not only once but twice -- but she has proven to be very elusive. I will nail her eventually, I hope, because she is definitely my favorite character of all the wonderfully colorful army of characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien. What do you think? |
 Tinuviel |
 The Stone Queen |
I don't even know the proper English name for her. She is from a Russian story called STONE FLOWER I read in Japanese in my childhood. I have included in my gallery my very first shot at her, but in fact the face of this version is far from what I had in mind. It was because I had very little (if any!) sculpting skills at that time -- she was one of my very first, you see, for the reason that she had always been the one whose image I saw in my mind the strongest. I am happy with the hair and costume, so maybe I will rework her face one of these days...One strange thing about dolls is, however, that they kind of take lives of their own once they are made, and it does not feel right to retouch their faces. I made Danilo was kind of happy about it, but for some reason I forgot to take a picture of it and now I am thousands of miles away from it across the Pacific Ocean. What do you think? |
 Danilo |
 Ludwig II  |
Ludwig II, the last Bohemian King, has fascinated me for many, many years, and obviously I am not the only one. Many books are written on this "lunatic" king and his death is still shrouded in mystery. Visconti made a film out of him, and the images from his film were so strong and beautiful that they totally took over my own. After seeing the film I knew I would never be able to make my own image of him...I love everything about this film. I could not help noticing this huge blue jewel surrounded by diamonds on the ring worn by Ludwig. Does it not remind you of that famous ring of Princess Diana? I wonder if it is supposed to be a "blue diamond" or sapphire. What do you think? |
 Ludwig II older |
 Elizabeth |
I know her only by this famous painting which portrays her with star flowers in her hair, and that is exactly I want my doll to look -- a beautiful "wild spirit" trapped in the royal gown. In Visconti's film LUDWIG II, she is depicted more as an "intelligent" aristocratic figure as opposed to her cousin Ludwig who "crossed the line to the other side", and Gina's portrayal of Elizabeth was exquisite. It is true that she had enough sense of duty to stay in her marriage and bear all those "crowns" as an empress and a queen, but then, she was not made for the rigid court life and spent her life trying to stay away from it, sailing a lot in her royal yacht, travelling around the Greek and other Mediterranean legendary places. It is said that she loved storms on the sea. There was something curiously "wild" about her and she never lost that quality after all those years being a "royal" figure. What do you think? |
 Elizabeth |
 Coco Channel |
Coco Channel was one of the first real people I wanted to make a doll out of. Who can resist?! Such a striking look which can be only her, no one else. She is one of those mega icons -- strong, talented, smart, persistent, beautiful, irresistible and all that, yes, but what makes her so special "bigger than life" personality is the TIME behind her -- she was a woman who "slept with her time" whether she meant it or not. She created a time of her own and people made it their own. What do you think? |
 Coco Channel |