The Wilder Dolls have been a year-long project, which spun out of a series of paintings I did in the fall of 2024. They are ujnique sculptures - one of a kind items.

A major source of inspiration and curiosity for me is the concept of nostalgia. I frequent antique markets and thrift stores, compelled to find items that remind me of my childhood. I also feel compelled to understand why certain items are in such abundance from store to store.

Earlier this year I noticed that everywhere I went, all the second hand porcelain dolls were overflowing and falling from their shelves. They were not a nostalgic item for me personally, but it did strike me that the dolls had served a very important purpose for young girls and women for generations before me. I tried to imagine what I could do with the dolls in order for them to be considered interesting again.

My process for each Wilder is a little bit of destruction, a little bit of sculpture, a little bit of fashion design, a bit of painting, and a smidge of magic. Each doll can take between 15-20 hours of labour, and there are long periods of drying time needed between the steps. There is a lot of unlogged time for them as well, as I imagine details about them and develop their character over the entire duration of their creation.

Since January this year, I have created over 50 of the Wilder Dolls and have sold them in Courtenay with the help of my friends at Fifth Street Florist. Although the Wilders appear to be “dolls” and are strong enough to be handled, I consider them to be small sculptures and their costumes have been secured permanently as part of my process. Removal of the garments may damage the Wilder.

I hope the Wilder that caught your eye has brought you a measure of joy today. The world has been a new and sometimes scary place in the last few years, and some days it has been hard to make sense of it all. Finding and imparting small moments of joy is one of the most important things an artist can contribute to their community, and animals dressed up in clothing has been a source of whimsy and delight for centuries of humans. Mother Goose, Beatrice Potter, Alice in Wonderland, Disney, Richard Scarry & Jim Henson and scores of other artists were definitely onto something.