E-Mail Address: marlaine@wxs.nl
Homepage: http://home.wxs.nl/~marlaine/marlaine.htm
Company Name: Marlaine Verhelst Styling
Location: Tilburg - The Netherlands (Holland)
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Metro/2954
Birthday: January 4th
- Family information: family page at http://home.wxs.nl/~marlaine/
Media used: porcelain (dolls and workshops), self hardening clay (workshops), papydur-woodpowder (animals and workshops)
Type/style of dolls: One of a kind fantasy dolls and marionettes made of porcelain (without molds) and textile, often in combination with one of a kind animals of woodpowder. Heads, hands and feet are hand-modelled out of porcelain. The work is related to the world of theatre and fairy-tales. The dolls are about 65 cm high; the whole objects are up to 170 cm high.
Length of time in dollmaking: Art School educated: Professional dollmaker since the end of the seventies. Since 1980 Teacher in making dolls and animals in The Netherlands. Workshops and lectures in Western Europe and in 1995, 1998 and 1999 at the Santa Fe Doll Festival. 20 years
Professional Credits:Since 1980 Industrial designer (textiles) and illustrator.
Since 1987 Author and illustrator of books about dollmaking (in Dutch and German.) Publications in several books and magazines all over the world. Expositions in The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Japan and the USA (New York and Santa Fe). Awards: 4th Worldcongress for Doll Collectors and Dollmakers (Paris 1994): Nomination for the 'Jumeau' Trophy (category Fantasy Dolls).
Santa Fe Doll Art Festival 1998: William Wiley Award of Excellence http://home.wxs.nl/~marlaine/santafe.htm
Comments: My dolls are based on the human anatomy but starting from that point I try to create my own fantasy world: 'Marlaine Verhelst is the creator of a range of fantastic storybook marionettes. She is inspired by the freedom of creating fairy-tales figures which develop in any direction from which her imagination beckons her to follow. Marlaine works in the classic way when forming her heads with slip. The head is made in two parts and hollowed out from the neck and then fired at 12600C. She works without molds, first creating clay models. Inevitably, she says, just as her manipulation of the clay fascinates her into a 'ghost'-like trance, the telephone always rings. One can discover a riot of animal imagery in Marlaine's marionettes, from delicately webbed hands and elaborate headpieces to more elementary Mickey-Mouse-type ears. She has described her working methods in extensively illustrated books published in German and Dutch. 'Ursula and Brigitte Driskell, 'Going Dutch' In: Doll Reader, Oct. 1992, p. 172-179. 'The Dutch had a strong continent of artists highlighted most prominently by the supremely gifted Hennie Koffrie and Marlaine Verhelst. While some may refer to their work as avant-garde, there is no doubting their genius. Their presentations were incredible' Peter Coe, 'Doll Art Frankfurt-Germany, May 22-23, 1993', In: Contemporary Doll Magazine, Oct. 1993, p. 63.
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Special:: Yearly 'Doll Holidays' in The Netherlands and France http://home.wxs.nl/~marlaine/mastercm.htm and http://home.wxs.nl/~marlaine/dollfest.htm
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*copyright and all rights reserved Marlaine Verhelst*.