I've blogged about vinyl artist Huck Gee's liontaur doll, and I was delighted to find that other artists are working in the same vein. In fact, there seems to be an artistic hobby of doll artistry that includes a niche in fantasy tropes. But where Huck's doll is basically solid vinyl, these are "ball-jointed" dolls. (Called "BJD" as I discovered.) And one doll-making company, LUTS, has created a liontaur doll. Here's one featured on the company website, after an artist has painted and accoutered her:
(Please click on the image above to visit the source page for the doll.)
I found out about this company and its dolls through an artist who works in this medium. Blue Kitsune, known as Claudia on Flickr, has crafted one of these ball-jointed liontaur dolls herself. Here is her lovely creation, found on this page:
Click this link for a fantastic liontaur named Socrates, with a friend.
Claudia's work often touches on themes of fantasy creatures and hybrid creations. I asked her what draws her to that area. "Fantasy themes are a big escapism for my overactive imagination. I've always loved nature and animals, and seeing fantasy people with animal characteristics was always something that drew me in," she said. "I'm a sucker for horns, long ears, hooves, paws, antlers and tails, you could say. A lot of my original characters are either personifications of animals I love or dreamlike creatures vaguely inspired in folklore."
I also asked her how much time and energy it takes her to make one of her art dolls. "The time of customizing an existing doll is relative. From modifying to painting and dressing them, it could take days, it could take months. I finished Socrates' custom in about 6 hours if you count only the neck swap and the face paint," she said.
Claudia mentioned that she is working on a sphinx concept next, and she offered her preliminary drawings on this feline quadruped work-in-progress. Am I biased if I hope it has four paws and arms by the time it is done? (Hint: Yes, I am!)
Being modest, Claudia sent me some links to others also creating art with the same liontaur base doll, here and here.
For more information on Claudia and her art, please visit Blue Kitsune on Tumblr or email srdolls@hotmail.com.
Sept. 5 Update: Also check out this amazing liontaur doll art by Kate "Pandorkful" Larson, from her Tumblr:
