Artist Statement
My mixed media, intuitive approach to doll making began in 1995 during a Spontaneous Creation Workshop at the Centre Gallery in Calgary. Having only 45 minutes to create in, and no time to think about what my hands were doing, I found myself making a small doll that fit into the palm of my hand. The process was both enchanting and illuminating. I was trying to make two legs but they kept turning into one. I thought, “OK, Be strange. I don’t have time to argue with you”. Once I let go of my preconceived ideas the legs then turned into a tail, green wool the colour of seaweed became hair and the doll that emerged was a mermaid. Having been born in Newfoundland and raised on the shores of Nova Scotia, this little one was a piece of my own heart. The magic of that moment was the turning point in my artistic career.
I began to learn more about the artifact we call doll. Scattered throughout history, in a multitude of forms and cultures these enigmatic figures are both ancient and modern, communal but personal, artless yet art. They have been the keepers of our stories, a way to honour our sacred beliefs and to contain the culture of a people for many millenniums.
I now dream, play and feel my way through the creative process. Where I am going with a project is not as important as where I am in the moment. There is delight and mystery in the making of a doll. I rely heavily on my connections to nature for inspiration and materials. I see figures dancing in the trees or in the frost patterns on my windows. I gather fragments of wood, small stones, scraps of materials and found objects and weave these diverse pieces into a whole. I am continually redefined and renewed through the lyrical, contemplative forms that I create. There is a freedom in form and a wealth of possibilities for exploration that few other art processes can match.
My work has gone through many stages, therapeutic, whimsical, storytelling and myth making. My present body of work is focusing on what spirit means to me and ways that I am tethered to the indescribable “Other” that religion and spirituality spend a lot of time trying to decipher. I am not trying to name or understand these experiences as much as I need to be present and to honour them. I have a working title of Sacred Space and am especially exploring the feminine side of what that means to me.
Joy MacLeod graduated with her B.F.A. from Mount Allison, N.B. in 1977. She is experienced in a variety of mediums including drawing, painting, printmaking, Chinese brush technique, papier mâché and fibre arts. She has been involved in art and education for both children and adults for over 30 years in schools, galleries, community centers, church settings and private lessons. Currently Joy is best known for her figurative, fibre art dolls. Her work can be seen and is available for purchase through www.westlandsart.com or the Canadian Doll Artists Association at www.dollartists.ca She is also available to teach her style of art through her Personal Journey Doll Workshops. Her research on “Dolls throughout History and Culture” has led to several speaking engagements including: Puppet Power 2002 and 2005, Storyteller’s Retreat 2003, Red Deer Museum, University of Calgary and the Calgary Women’s Network. Joy is also involved with arts and education by designing and implementing art projects that enhance curriculum through the Arts in schools throughout Alberta.
