Polly is a Model

10/2003  Polly modeling a wearable fairy riding a dragonfly sitting on her shoulder.  I made this for a customer who wanted to wear it to a Rennaisance Faire.

Polly goes to the Library

 Polly spent a few days at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City where my parents were serving a mission for the Mormon church.

My mother set her up in the library just to mess with people when they came it - yes it runs in the family.  Just off camera is a little dog barking and straining at his leash.  Nobody was sure if he was trying to protect her or just wanted to investigate! The owner of the dog looked a little spooked by Polly.

Dogs react strangely to her... I think she just doesn't smell right to them.

10/10/03

Polly at the Bead Show

Polly spent the next week helping out at the Renaissance Bead Show in Denver.  She very kindly held a mirror for customers to view their potential purchases.

A security guard was stationed at a door straight across from where Polly sat slowly surveying the show, trying to spot would-be shoplifters.  She could feel someone staring at her.  Her annoyance grew when she realized it was Polly and her unblinking stare.  She finally got angry and decided to confront Polly for being so rude. 

When she'd had enough she stormed over to the booth but when she got close enough to see clearly she started, she screamed "She scared the hell out of me!"

Unfortunately Polly's presence proved to be of interest but acted as a sale deterrent so she was fired and moved to the back area of the booth where she could be appreciated without being perceived as threatening. 

Being moved turned out to be good for her social life.  Stan the Raku man, a vendor in the next booth fell in love with Polly and even gave her a gift of a raku piece he had made. 

We had a great time and headed home making friends all along the highway.

The Birth of Polly

As I was preparing for my first polymer clay artist retreat in the mountains of Colorado I figured, hey I don't have nearly enough to do packing, and preparing myself and my online auctions and sales ready for a one week break, I'll a life-size doll to take with me to mess with people.

I'm all about making new friends in a dignified, grownup manner. You never get a second chance to make a bad first impression... or something like that.

It made perfect sense to me to wait until I got there to stuff the body because there wasn't really room in the car for another "person". (And no I did not think far enough to what to do coming home...)

So after the 8 hour drive I frantically stuffed the body and sewed up the uh... crack. As I was concentrating on my proctological task the door to my shared room opened and a small group of artists took one look at me and that was it. To this day I don't think I have done anything to change that first impression

So Polly spent her first week at a polymer clay artists retreat in Colorado.

Both startling and comforting she sat in the corner not doing much but did manage to receive the gift of a wonderful necklace featuring the image of the late Jerry Garcia of Grateful Dead fame.

Several participants were startled upon spotting her sitting in the common room and not wanting to be rude tried to talk to her before realizing.

Meet Polly's Mom

...or is it creator?   Hmmm... does that make me a Goddess?  I kinda like that!

My name is Lorie O Follett and I've always been an artist. I don't even remember when I wasn't driven to create.

Mostly I make art dolls and figurines that are sold online and in shops.  My primary medium is polymer clay these days although I use a lot of different materials and techniques.

As a child I didn't like to play dolls or rather my idea of playing dolls was dramatically different than my sister's idea of playing with dolls.

A year and a half younger than me, my sister would absolutely beg me to play Barbies with her. Sometimes I would not accept until she did my chores. I know I was a bad sister.

Every time the problem would started with the very first thing to come out of her mouth. It would go like this:

Her: " Okay, so Barbie's going to the beach..."

Me: "Oh! She needs a towel! and swim suit! and a beach bag! ... it'll only take a minute."

I'd immediately set off happily, frantically cutting, stitching , crocheting while my sister would be making like a tea kettle!

First the arms cross in a huffy manner, then the whimpering, followed by crying with a steadily increasing volume and ear-splitting shrillness until finally she'd explode "You always do this!"

Looking back I don't understand why she continued to want to play dolls with me - it was a never ending battle for her to try to find something Barbie could do that did not require anything for me to make.

For me it was a like a crazy, exciting Project Runway thing - Junior edition. Funny, she never came up with Barbie as a nudist... oh yeah, we were Mormon and didn't know what that was!

I haven't really changed much. In high school and dating often I would just be finishing up sewing something to wear as my date rang the doorbell. Again a crazy, exciting Project Runway - Teen edition.

Years later I was finishing the hem on my wedding dress in the car on the way to the ceremony.

Polly's creation was a bit like that too except it wasn't her hem I was sewing at the last minute!

Introducing Polly Merclay

Meet Polly, a life-size doll with realistic head and hands which I sculpted in polymer clay and baked in my home oven - and yes, it was pretty creepy even for me opening the oven and finding a face staring back at me!

Her eyes are blown glass and are so realistic there are thin red blood vessels in the sclera. She even has eyelashes and eyebrows.

Her body is composed of galvanized wire, PVC pipe, aluminum, fiber fill stuffing and fabric.

She is approximately 5' tall and can be dressed in regular clothing size medium. Her head and hands are removable to avoid damage while dressing.

I had no one in particular in mind when I sculpted this piece although I was kind of speculating just a little bit on what I might look like in 20 years.

I believe we earn the face we have in old age and she has a wonderfully peaceful expression that to me says she has lived a joyful life and has maintained a sense of humor.

I'm having a lot of fun with her and have decided not to sell her as she has become part of the family.