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2014, Creepy Romance by Cosondra Sjostrom. Featured piece: Santa Maria de la Luna, 2013 (available on Etsy)
2012, Art Doll Quarterly Spring Issue, Bottle Doll Challenge. Featured pieces: Apothecary's Cure for the Jilted Heart and Face Cream Pearls for the Lady of Luxury and Beauty, both 2012
2014, Creepy Romance by Cosondra Sjostrom. Featured piece: Santa Maria de la Luna, 2013 (available on Etsy)
2012, Art Doll Quarterly Spring Issue, Bottle Doll Challenge. Featured pieces: Apothecary's Cure for the Jilted Heart and Face Cream Pearls for the Lady of Luxury and Beauty, both 2012
Forlorn in the News
This is a collection of news articles featuring Forlorn Dolls. Each article features a button which links back to the original source of the article and to the author of the article itself. This is not the complete body of written work on Forlorn Dolls though. This is just what was available in an online format. The rest are in my studio tucked away for memory sake along with all my gallery fliers!
This is a collection of news articles featuring Forlorn Dolls. Each article features a button which links back to the original source of the article and to the author of the article itself. This is not the complete body of written work on Forlorn Dolls though. This is just what was available in an online format. The rest are in my studio tucked away for memory sake along with all my gallery fliers!
Meet the Artist: Forlorn Dolls
By Christin Dillon for Crafty Goodness Blog, October 2011
Crafty Goodness is very excited to be featuring a Forlorn Doll Trunk Show at our Halloween Spooktacular on October 22nd. Each amazing hand-sculpted doll takes between 20-40 hours to create. All the clothing is hand-sewn as well. The maker of these amazing art dolls considers herself "Lakewood obsessed" and not only lives in Lakewood but also attended college right here at Virginia Marti. She cites the "history, the architecture, the arts and community events have wrapped around us like a cozy blanket. The kind of blanket most people search their whole lives for. It's called home."
Who is Forlorn Dolls?
I grew up in a home which nurtured my love of the arts. My oldest brother, Jeff, is a digital artist. And when we were younger he was always painting on the garage door and basement walls. His creativity later helped create the infamous dancing baby who sashayed its way onto Ally McBeal. You could say my parents encouraged us to be creative. In fact, unlike most parents mine wanted an artist in the family. I wanted to go into criminal justice. But my mom would smile down at me and say, "You could be a court sketch artist!"
When it came time to select colleges I had finally settled on Art. And my high school art instructors Sean Crum and Jim Messenheimer had worked to prepare me for the future. I had been accepted to the Columbus College of Art and Design and the Cleveland Institute of Art, but even with the scholarships I received the expenses of these institutions were just too much. So I attended Lorain County Community College beginning my studies in Fine Arts under the classic teachings of Reid Wood. Oddly enough, I made my very first sculpted doll in the LCCC Fine Arts program. It was a project I absolutely hated. But I still have the doll and he is staple in my studio. I went on to study Graphic Design under Dennis Ryan before I transferred to the Virginia Marti College of Art and Design in Lakewood to switch my studies to Fashion Merchandising. There were two courses which I feel lend so much to what I am doing now that were both taught by Barb Havranek: Textiles and History of Costume. If it wasn't for Barb I think I would be so lost in costuming the dolls.
I would say throughout my educated life I had five great influences which really have stuck with me. Each of the instructors I had brought something different to the arena which I have been able to retain and meld together with my own ideals to harness the Forlorn Doll style.
Your dolls are really amazing. How did you start creating them?
How I started making the dolls is actually a funny story, in a slightly creepy way. I have to admit first, that for several years I had actually abandoned art after I graduated college. I had felt burnt out and uninspired. Very lost. There was no direction.
My husband and I went to Salem, Massachusetts for our honeymoon two years ago. The morning following a weird paranormal incident which occurred during an evening walking tour we decided to cross over Boston to the home of the infamous Lizzie Borden. This was the house in which the gruesome axe murders of Lizzie's parents took place. It would be a change of pace from the busy tourist attractions in Salem, and a chance for our GPS to recoup from its demonic possession at the Salem graveyard. We arrived... it was cold, dreary and rainy; all the classic workings for a haunted tour.
From the street outside, the Borden house stands quite charming and serene. Inside as well it feels the same way. It's beautifully decorated, well-maintained and dutifully run by a exuberant young woman who takes visitors on an in depth tour of the home and its dark seedy past. What we never expected to see while there, however, was Lizzie Borden eighty-four years after she had passed.
It was in the old barn/shed, which now serves as the gift shop and ticket office for the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast that I saw her. I had been peeking around at merchandise while waiting for our tour to start. From the corner of my eye something unique and quite peculiar struck my attention. I didn't react instantly. In fact I hesitated a bit. I even turned to my husband and whispered to him about what I was seeing. I felt myself even grow anxious about it, overcome with curiosity and and assortment of other emotions I could not define in that moment. Finally, I approached the clerk's counter to get a closer look. Perched quietly and quite delicately like a lingering ghost from the past was this exquisitely handcrafted doll in the likeness of Lizzie Borden. She was so unusual and so beautiful.
Up until that point I had no interest in dolls, but I ask the merchant about her and how much to purchase the doll. Sadly, I was informed the Lizzie doll was not for sale but the clerk did explain she was a one of a kind art doll created by Joyce Stahl.
We had brought a laptop with us, so when we returned to our hotel that night I instantly went into research mode. I looked up Joyce Stahl's dolls online which parlayed into other doll artists. I had been inadvertently introduced to a new community I had never heard of before: Art Dolls. And of course there was so much terminology to be defined as well and a plethora of styles and mediums in which art dolls were constructed. When we returned home I jumped right into selecting the medium I felt would work best for my abilities and style and started combining everything I had learned from art and fashion into Forlorn Dolls.
In a weird little moment I had a little spark of direction where for so many years I felt lost an uninspired by art and even lost hope that I would ever find my way back into creating. And it's almost laughable, and people do laugh, when I say I was at a murder scene and that's where I found my inspiration. But I attribute finding that direction to Joyce Stahl. And at the beginning of this October we finally met face to face after a few months of emails, facebook and phone conversations and I was able to thank Joyce in person for being my inspiration.
To create something so amazing must take a long time, is it a long process?
This question always makes me laugh because when I first started making the dolls two years ago it was a very quick and painless process to make one doll. But as time has progressed and I have grown in my techniques (ie. improved my self taught sewing) it takes so much longer now. One full size doll, depending on the amount of detail just in the garments, can take between twenty and forty hours of work. The sewing is all hand done, no machines; so it is a very lengthy process.
What are you working on now?
I am working on many things at the moment. Aside from Halloween preparations, I have plans to start various projects which will include a series of Circus centered performers and fairytale themed characters like Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, but with the Forlorn twist. But next on my work bench is the Phantom of the Opera, a Victorian-styled alien, and a special large scale bridal pair which I started several months ago and had to put on hold while I was doing the summer shows. I have too many ideas running through my head at the moment and just not enough time to get started on them.
To see these amazing dolls in person and meet the artist, stop by Crafty Goodness on October 22nd. More information can be found here.
Who is Forlorn Dolls?
I grew up in a home which nurtured my love of the arts. My oldest brother, Jeff, is a digital artist. And when we were younger he was always painting on the garage door and basement walls. His creativity later helped create the infamous dancing baby who sashayed its way onto Ally McBeal. You could say my parents encouraged us to be creative. In fact, unlike most parents mine wanted an artist in the family. I wanted to go into criminal justice. But my mom would smile down at me and say, "You could be a court sketch artist!"
When it came time to select colleges I had finally settled on Art. And my high school art instructors Sean Crum and Jim Messenheimer had worked to prepare me for the future. I had been accepted to the Columbus College of Art and Design and the Cleveland Institute of Art, but even with the scholarships I received the expenses of these institutions were just too much. So I attended Lorain County Community College beginning my studies in Fine Arts under the classic teachings of Reid Wood. Oddly enough, I made my very first sculpted doll in the LCCC Fine Arts program. It was a project I absolutely hated. But I still have the doll and he is staple in my studio. I went on to study Graphic Design under Dennis Ryan before I transferred to the Virginia Marti College of Art and Design in Lakewood to switch my studies to Fashion Merchandising. There were two courses which I feel lend so much to what I am doing now that were both taught by Barb Havranek: Textiles and History of Costume. If it wasn't for Barb I think I would be so lost in costuming the dolls.
I would say throughout my educated life I had five great influences which really have stuck with me. Each of the instructors I had brought something different to the arena which I have been able to retain and meld together with my own ideals to harness the Forlorn Doll style.
Your dolls are really amazing. How did you start creating them?
How I started making the dolls is actually a funny story, in a slightly creepy way. I have to admit first, that for several years I had actually abandoned art after I graduated college. I had felt burnt out and uninspired. Very lost. There was no direction.
My husband and I went to Salem, Massachusetts for our honeymoon two years ago. The morning following a weird paranormal incident which occurred during an evening walking tour we decided to cross over Boston to the home of the infamous Lizzie Borden. This was the house in which the gruesome axe murders of Lizzie's parents took place. It would be a change of pace from the busy tourist attractions in Salem, and a chance for our GPS to recoup from its demonic possession at the Salem graveyard. We arrived... it was cold, dreary and rainy; all the classic workings for a haunted tour.
From the street outside, the Borden house stands quite charming and serene. Inside as well it feels the same way. It's beautifully decorated, well-maintained and dutifully run by a exuberant young woman who takes visitors on an in depth tour of the home and its dark seedy past. What we never expected to see while there, however, was Lizzie Borden eighty-four years after she had passed.
It was in the old barn/shed, which now serves as the gift shop and ticket office for the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast that I saw her. I had been peeking around at merchandise while waiting for our tour to start. From the corner of my eye something unique and quite peculiar struck my attention. I didn't react instantly. In fact I hesitated a bit. I even turned to my husband and whispered to him about what I was seeing. I felt myself even grow anxious about it, overcome with curiosity and and assortment of other emotions I could not define in that moment. Finally, I approached the clerk's counter to get a closer look. Perched quietly and quite delicately like a lingering ghost from the past was this exquisitely handcrafted doll in the likeness of Lizzie Borden. She was so unusual and so beautiful.
Up until that point I had no interest in dolls, but I ask the merchant about her and how much to purchase the doll. Sadly, I was informed the Lizzie doll was not for sale but the clerk did explain she was a one of a kind art doll created by Joyce Stahl.
We had brought a laptop with us, so when we returned to our hotel that night I instantly went into research mode. I looked up Joyce Stahl's dolls online which parlayed into other doll artists. I had been inadvertently introduced to a new community I had never heard of before: Art Dolls. And of course there was so much terminology to be defined as well and a plethora of styles and mediums in which art dolls were constructed. When we returned home I jumped right into selecting the medium I felt would work best for my abilities and style and started combining everything I had learned from art and fashion into Forlorn Dolls.
In a weird little moment I had a little spark of direction where for so many years I felt lost an uninspired by art and even lost hope that I would ever find my way back into creating. And it's almost laughable, and people do laugh, when I say I was at a murder scene and that's where I found my inspiration. But I attribute finding that direction to Joyce Stahl. And at the beginning of this October we finally met face to face after a few months of emails, facebook and phone conversations and I was able to thank Joyce in person for being my inspiration.
To create something so amazing must take a long time, is it a long process?
This question always makes me laugh because when I first started making the dolls two years ago it was a very quick and painless process to make one doll. But as time has progressed and I have grown in my techniques (ie. improved my self taught sewing) it takes so much longer now. One full size doll, depending on the amount of detail just in the garments, can take between twenty and forty hours of work. The sewing is all hand done, no machines; so it is a very lengthy process.
What are you working on now?
I am working on many things at the moment. Aside from Halloween preparations, I have plans to start various projects which will include a series of Circus centered performers and fairytale themed characters like Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, but with the Forlorn twist. But next on my work bench is the Phantom of the Opera, a Victorian-styled alien, and a special large scale bridal pair which I started several months ago and had to put on hold while I was doing the summer shows. I have too many ideas running through my head at the moment and just not enough time to get started on them.
To see these amazing dolls in person and meet the artist, stop by Crafty Goodness on October 22nd. More information can be found here.
Faustus, Paint You Face for the Dead
Photograph by Samantha Meyers
Photograph by Samantha Meyers
Local Artist Spotlight: Forlorn Dolls
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Halloween Spooktacular at Crafty Goodness
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Inspiration found at the home of murderess Lizzie Borden? Local artist says YES!
Lakewood resident and graduate Samantha Meyers will be hosting a trunk show, called "The Hollowed Gathering," at Crafty Goodness on Oct. 22. Her new line of Forlorn Dolls will be unveiled at the show. Art was first and foremost in Samantha's household. As a child, she considered going into criminal justice, but her mom instead suggested a courtroom sketch artist. Her brother, a digital artist, helped created the infamous dancing baby from Ally McBeal. Samantha started out studying Fine Arts at Lorain Community College where she constructed her first sculpted art doll for a class assignment. She says, "it was a project I absolutely hated." Later she transferred to Virginia Marti and switched to Fashion Merchandising. Textiles and Costuming were two of her favorite courses, both of which would later be instrumental in the creation of Forlorn Dolls. After graduation, art was put on the back burner. But while honeymooning in Salem, Massachusetts in 2009 inspiration finally struck in the creepiest of places: Lizzie Borden's home. While touring the home, a doll in the likeness of Ms. Borden was on display and caught Samantha's eye. While the doll was not for sale, a search online led her to the works of Joyce Stahl, the creator of this inspirational piece. Further investigation lead to the Art Doll community. The rest, as they say, is history. Fast forward to 2011, Forlorn Dolls have been featured at quite a few local galleries around Lakewood, including & . These unique one of a kind dolls are all hand sculpted from polymer clay, with intricately detailed hand painted faces plus elaborate hand sewn clothes. No sewing machine, just old-fashioned needle and thread create the costumes. Each doll takes between 20 to 40 hours to create. An upcoming line will feature fairy-tale themed characters such as Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf, with a Forlorn Dolls twist of course. When asked why choose Lakewood, Samantha responded, "Lakewood has a unique culture and feeling. When my husband and I first met at Virginia Marti College in Lakewood and started dating we grew a deep attachment to the city,you could call us Lakewood obsessed." "We found our first apartment on Cook Avenue," she added. "Two years later we searched through forty Lakewood homes until we settled upon our dream house on the North end of town. We have decided we just cannot leave this city. It's history, the architecture, the arts and community events that hold it together have wrapped around us like a cozy blanket. The kind of blanket most people search their whole lives for. It's called home." See these exquisite dolls in person and chat with the artist on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Crafty Goodness, 15621 Madison Avenue. |
Join us at CG for a fun day filled with crafts and local art. We are very excited to feature a Forlorn Dolls Trunk Show throughout the day. The creator of these exquisite dolls, Samantha, will be on hand to discuss her art. We will also be having a special Halloween-Themed Drop In & Craft with spooky, creepy and cute $5 projects for all ages.
***Specials*** First 12 children will receive a special Halloween treat bag 10% off all Halloween merchandise Raffle Baskets Face Painting & more Lots of treats, no tricks! 
Top: Embeth, the Widow of Lord Edgar Hampshire Hawthorne
Bottom: Belle of New Orleans Photographs by Samantha Meyers |
Artisans of Lake Erie: Forlorn Dolls
From Joshua B. Pribanic
Co-Published by the Erie Wire
Article originally appeared in the Erie Wire, December 2010
LAKEWOOD, OH – On a Halloween Honeymoon in Salem, MA, Samantha Meyers walked out of her hotel to shape her new found career as a Victorian Sculptor. It was in a Salem museum that she learned about OOAK (“one of a kind” sculpting guild) from a doll on display by Joyce Stahl, which led her to a larger group of doll makers. “I thought; I studied fashion, I studied sculpture and painting and needed an outlet… so when we got home the first thing I did was buy supplies to start making them.” Her company, Forlorn Dolls, started only months later and is now hosting pieces for sale on the Forlorn Etsy page.
Samantha’s Dolls reminded me most of the character Ayesha in H. Rider Haggard’s Victorian classic “She” — the irony of life all around, while breathing from a cold motionless stare; to be only an observer of mortality. Ayesha was a powerful woman, a pinnacle to the sought after “Ideal” female: a frightening motif of women in Victorian literature. Although, like the dolls, Ayesha’s alluring qualities were strictly of the body. The dolls have a kind of powerful stare and physical presence, something an ideal woman would posses in Victorian work. But, just as they are powerful there’s sadness in the air around them; a frozen sense of time, much like the repeated element of death throughout She — an element frozen within Ayesha.
This is the second installment to “Artisans of Lake Erie,” a series about working entrepreneurs that documents through video, audio and text the craft and culture of the artisan. (The first installment was published in December 2010, but has been re-scheduled for late February 2011.) You can read more about Samantha Meyers and Forlorn Dolls by visiting her website, forlorndolls.com/ — and participate in her doll naming challenge through facebook.
Samantha’s Dolls reminded me most of the character Ayesha in H. Rider Haggard’s Victorian classic “She” — the irony of life all around, while breathing from a cold motionless stare; to be only an observer of mortality. Ayesha was a powerful woman, a pinnacle to the sought after “Ideal” female: a frightening motif of women in Victorian literature. Although, like the dolls, Ayesha’s alluring qualities were strictly of the body. The dolls have a kind of powerful stare and physical presence, something an ideal woman would posses in Victorian work. But, just as they are powerful there’s sadness in the air around them; a frozen sense of time, much like the repeated element of death throughout She — an element frozen within Ayesha.
This is the second installment to “Artisans of Lake Erie,” a series about working entrepreneurs that documents through video, audio and text the craft and culture of the artisan. (The first installment was published in December 2010, but has been re-scheduled for late February 2011.) You can read more about Samantha Meyers and Forlorn Dolls by visiting her website, forlorndolls.com/ — and participate in her doll naming challenge through facebook.
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L-R: The Bride of MacHugh, A Ghostly, Ghastly Ghoul, Little Sorrow
Photographs by Joshua B. Pribanic
Photographs by Joshua B. Pribanic
