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STAND May-June 2020
Cover Photo: Popovy Little Owl photographer: Popovy Sisters All images are owned by their respective photographers and all images are provided with permission. Credit is given on each image according to what is provided by contributor. STAND is not responsible for incorrect information.
doll: OOAK repaint of Poppy Parker by Integrity Toys photographer: Sharon Wright
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// from the Editor Dorothy Drake Editor-In-Chief
Debbie Hood Co-Editor
thestandmag.com Visit us at Facebook.com/thestandmag
Welcome to our Spring issue! Spring is in the air! Flowers scatter the landscape, bees are buzzing, and the temperature is heating up. As new life is emerging from its long winter’s nap, there is a sense of renewal. This Spring, however, has been a bit different. We are now all clad with face masks to combat COVID-19 anytime we leave home and are challenged to find basic staples like toilet paper when we venture into the grocery store. As a global community, we are having to do almost everything we do differently-- from how we learn, how we eat and how we connect with each other. Simply stated, it’s a new beginning for everyone...we are witness to unprecedented times. Despite all of the turmoil, photographic artistry thrives! I asked contibutors to send photos taken during isolation and love the response. I was doubly excited to receive a photograph from 12 year old Gwen Verhoeff. Keep them coming Gwen! In this Spring-themed issue of STAND, you’ll find a variety of photos from our contributors highlighting the joys of the season and this sense of new beginnings. We are also delighted to share an interview with the Popovy Sisters, whose masterful work crating fashion BJD’s inspires us all. We thank the Popovy Sisters and our contributers for sharing their art with us. Have a great Spring and stay safe!
Dorothy
and
Debbie
Submission Guidelines The STAND is published January, March, May, July, September, & November yearly on the 15th of that month.
Contributers: Submit your photos to editor@thestandmag.com for consideration at any time. You will be contacted by the editor for photos that may be used in an issue. Show Reports: Submit within 60 days of the event taking place. The report is limited to 1000 words supported by as many high quality (300dpi) pictures as you would like to send. The editor will contact you with any additional instructions should the report be considered for publication. Sponsors: Contact editor@thestandmag.com for rates and scheduling. All images are owned by their respective photographers and all images are provided with permission. Credit is given on each image according to what is provided by contributor. STAND is not responsible for incorrect information.
doll: Sissi by Meadow Dolls photographer: Barbara Richards
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doll: Kit Durham by Kingdom Doll photographer: Brian Bunting
doll: Blythe Doll by Takara photographer: Tiffany Bauer Squeaky Monkey/TiFFo To
doll: Mini Bella by Doll Chateau photographer: Agata Zimna
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dolls: OOAK Repaint of Poppy Parker by Integrity Toys photographer: Sharon Wright
doll: Fashion Royalty repaint by Park photographer: Wil Herold
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doll: CK-dolls Lacrymosa head on Spiritdoll Proud body photographer: Masha
doll: OOAK Needle Felt Rabbit by Stevi T. photographer: Stevi T.
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doll: Fashion Royalty Kyori, Repaint by Park photographer: Wil Herold
doll: Athena by Kingdom Doll photographer: Brian Bunting
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doll: Poppy Parker, Beatnik Blues photographer: PruchanunR
doll: Zuri Okoty by Integrity Toys photographer: Jennifer Jones
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doll: Itty Bitty by Nikki Britt photographer: Deborah Hood
doll: Nana Princess Bonetta by Lati Doll photographer: PruchanunR.
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Judges Choice, 4th Annual STAND Photo Contest Theme: Curiosity Shoppe Judges Choice Winner:
Martha Boers
I always look forward to seeing how photographers interpret the contest theme. This year was better than ever! The complexity of each photo is impressive. Each time I look the photographs, I see more depth, detail, imagination and imagery. Kudos to all...the committee had a tough time naming the Judges Award recipient.
Martha’s interpretation: “I took my basic inspiration from the Dickens novel, and created a Victorian era shop filled with all manner of old and unusual items. The little orphan girl, Holly, lives there above the shop with her grandfather. During the day he sits at his work-bench in front of the window, inspecting and repairing any new acquisitions. Holly likes to imagine herself a fancy lady, hoping that some day a knight in shining armour will come to rescue her, so she finds herself drawn inexplicably to the knight puppet that just came in….” Martha’s Models: “Holly is an Iplehouse BID Bono. The Grandfather is a hybrid curiosity himself. I sculpted his head over a Doll Family practice head. He has a Fantasy Doll boy body, with some spare SD hands.” Editor’s Note: The detail, placement and scale of every object is outstanding!
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Silent Distraction:
There was a curious shop that sold this and that, it’s shelves were full of strange bric -a -brac. There were trinkets and treasures from lands near and far, but the red headed girl was the main object d’art. My interpretation of the theme is very simple, I just wanted to portray a Victorian young woman running a curiosity shop but although the shop is filled with many objects the young girl is still the most intriguing thing. She has a story to tell.
Photographer: Silent Distraction
Some of the diorama is made by me, background, furniture, and some props. I made the cash register for this competition
Nicolette Peppinck:
I felt the contest was an opportunity to gather the props I’ve collected over the past few years, and put it all together as an old curiosity shop. I’ve had so many great finds of old fashioned props at the charity shops I like to visit. And of course using charity shop items makes it feel even more real to me. To emphasize the era, I decided to try a sepia style picture.
Nakia
Photographer: Nicolette Peppinck
I had a ous ob shop a has de things
Hugo’s Dolls:
Iplehouse FID Elle
Cheryl Booth: The Curiosity Shoppe is always filled with beautiful displays of old interesting treasures. The more you look the more you see.
a Powell:
a little bit of a different interpretation. A curiosity shop would seem to carry varibscure but sometimes rare and beautiful odds and ends. However, I interpreted my as a vintage movie theater showing peculiar and bizarre films. My character Annora ecided to go on a movie adventure to see bizarre but beautiful people do incredible s in the sideshow movie room. thestandmag.com
doll: Woda, baby blue by Charles Creature Cabinet photographer: Gwen Verhoeff
doll: Tuula Tuulikki by Charles Creature Cabinet photographer: Tyna Verhoeff
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dolls: Pin-Da So, Botanical Blossom Faerie by CCC photographer: Charles Creature Cabinet
dolls: Pullip Girl by Groove photographer: Silent Distraction
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doll: Nabarro Boys Har photographer: Ilona Kalinowska
doll: Doll Chateau Austin photographer: Agata Zimna
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doll: Serenity Vanessa by Integrity Toys photographer: Sharon Wright
doll: Serenity Vanessa by Integrity Toys photographer: Sharon Wright
doll: Paper Wig by Nakia, Lahela doll by Iplehouse photographer: Nakia Powell
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doll: Natalia Fatale by Integrity Toys photographer: Jennifer Jones
Katya and Lena Popovy
THE POPOVY SISTERS
We love showcasing the incredible artistry that makes up this wonderful hobby including the faces behind the gorgeous sculpts that grace every issue of STAND. In this issue, we are delighted to share our interview with the Popovy Sisters, Russian artists and twin sisters, Katya and Lena Popovy. The Popovy Sisters are known for their exquisite creations-delicate yet intricately detailed ball-jointed dolls that exude a high fashion aesthetic and sense of beauty that is, simply stated, aweinspiring. The sisters’ award-winning work is innovative and fresh, and has attracted a celebrity following including Jean Paul Gaultier in addition to a multitude of fans around the globe.
Interview by Deborah Hood, PhD Photos courtesy of Popovy Sisters
Tawny Owl
doll: Mini Mechina by Batchix Dolls photographer: Nakia Powell Spencer
STAND: Tell us a little bit about growing up as twins.... PS: We were born in Perm, in the Ural region of Russia. We grew up in the city but spent also time at a cabin in the
countryside. Growing up as twins, it seemed like we had two lives...the first was an artistic life where we spent time on our own together drawing and painting a lot and creating our own characters. We also spent a lot of time in the library pouring over books filled with pictures of nature and animals...all animals but especially dogs! We also found ourselves fascinated with nature. We would spend time outside observing and watching the smallest of details--the leaves on trees, the colors of nature, the animals around us, and how things grew. Our second life was surrounded by friends...and we had lots of friends! We think that everyone liked us because we were twins! Our friends knew we were good at art so they would always ask us to draw them! Our parents really cultivated our artistic life and encouraged us to go to art school. Our father was very talented at drawing, especially technical drawings of things like engines. He also loved photography and even developed his photographs in a dark room. We learned a lot about photography from him.
STAND: Did you play with dolls as children? Did you have a favorite doll growing up? PS: Initially, we didn’t like dolls in our early years! This may have to do with growing up in the Soviet Union where dolls were frowned upon at that time. But that all changed the first time we saw a Barbie doll (which we later found out was Sindy!) It was love at first sight. Dolls were very hard to acquire and expensive, so we had to share one doll between the two of us! We would sew clothes for her (our mother helped us sew doll clothes and taught us how to sew) and eventually entered a contest where we won a 2nd doll!
STAND: Fast-forward to today, what is life like now? PS: Today, we are both married, and still live together! We live in a very big house that was designed for two families.--it is split into two parts so each family has their own side. Our studio connects the two homes, and that is where we spend much of our time. We don’t have children but we do have two dogs and a cat!
STAND: How did you become doll artists? PS: Ever since childhood, we have been interested in design. In fact, we graduated from fashion design school. In our second year of design school, we had an assignment to make something doll-sized, something abstract. About the same time, we went to an art doll exhibition. Seeing all those dolls there, we became very excited and thought it would be cool to try to make them ourselves...this is how it started!
STAND: Tell us about your first sculpt... PS: Well, we first went to a Master Class to learn how to sculpt, and then someone gave us a pair of eyes. We started
out with a type of fairy tale-like feel as we experimented. Our first doll sculpts were of musicians Ville Vallo and Marilyn Manson...we were so deeply inspired by their music and charismatic qualities.
STAND: Tell us a bit about your artistic process...do you have a preferred medium to work in? PS: We mostly work in resin--it is more affordable, but we also enjoy working with porcelain. Our work encompasses
many forms of art....the sculpting, all the painting, wig making, fashion design, jewelry making and photography. Again, it is about the whole package for us. thestandmag.com
LandY thestandmag.com
Magpie
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Tawny Owl & Little Owl
STAND: Your dolls are so unique. As you know, in the doll industry there are fashion dolls and there are BJDs which kind of live in two separate categories. Do you consider your work to be fashion dolls or BJDs? PS: When we started creating in 2004, no one was combining these two categories. But, to be honest, we don’t see a
separation between the two. They are fashion BJDs. We have a passion for fashion and a passion for dolls. Our work is about creating a whole image. Our work is the whole thing...there really can’t be a separation.
STAND: What is your inspiration in your designs? PS: Our inspiration is life itself. Nature is a big part of our inspiration. There is something in everything...the little details we see in nature, the personalities of people, life is full of inspiration!
STAND: How do you like to create? What is your studio like? PS: We love our workshop...it is a space that is very bright. We have a long window with a view of a forest which keeps us
connected to nature all the time. We can just look out the window and be inspired. We like to listen to music or a movie soundtrack sometimes when we work, and other times, we just open the window to listen to the outdoors. thestandmag.com thestandmag.com
STAND: How do you divide the work between the two of you? PS: We work together on everything. By doing so, we reinforce each other and make each other stronger. Sometimes one of us works on wigs and the other is painting and vice-versa. We don’t really see one of us being stronger at something than the other. We get our inspiration by working together and sharing ideas.
STAND: So...do you ever fight over your ideas? PS: (They laugh). We don’t really fight...it is more like a “discussion”! STAND: Of all your sculpts, which are you the most proud of? PS: Oh, that’s too hard! In the 16 years we have been doing this, we have over 100 sculpts (including static dolls), but to be honest we can’t pick a favorite! It’s like choosing which of your children is the favorite--we can’t do it! We are proud of all of them!
Quetzal thestandmag.com
STAND: Looking at your body of work, how would you describe how your art has evolved through the years? PS: We are actually working on several new faces and a new prototype body. We feel that we now, especially in our new
workshop environment that we love, can work even closer to the earth than ever. And, in recent years it is easier to get supplies as we have better access. In terms of our art, we’ve always tried to uphold a high quality standard, trying to be the best and constantly developing. Looking back at our past work, we can see how we have grown our skills in things like making wigs or developing new artisitc techniques. When we started making static dolls (non-moving parts), making clothes was easy. But with BJDs and their moving parts you have to think about how the outfit will move and how to put on and take off the outfit. It is a lot more complex with dolls that move.
STAND: How would you describe how the BJD industry as evolved over the years? PS: We’ve seen a big move to the use
of 3D sculpting and because of that, there are a lot more new artists coming up. With 3D, it is hard to keep the uniqueness of a doll, and usually the dolls are symetrical. With 3D, there is also the danger of work being copied. Our preference is to not use 3D, we sculpt by hand. This way we keep our doll’s uniqueness. On the other hand, from an industry standpoint, dolls are much more accessible now to everyone in all parts of the world which is growing the industry.
STAND: So....what dolls do you both collect? PS: Although we don’t really consider
ourselves to be “collectors”, we do have a very large vintage Barbie/Sindy collection! We love these dolls and in a way, they are a “portal” to our past. As Phantom children growing up in the Soviet Union, we used to dream about these dolls and being able to have them. Now that we can, we’ve been collecting them over the years when we can find them! Not a doll, but we also recently purchased a vintage carousel horse that reminds us of our childhood. It is now in our workshop!
STAND: What do you guys do for fun? Any hobbies? PS: We enjoy watercolor and oil painting. To relax, we practice yoga and meditation. We also love horses which are a huge passion! So, we like to spend time riding horses. And of course, spending time with relatives when we can!
Peewit
Tawny Owl
The opportunity to chat with Katya and Lena to learn more about their background and creative process was a pure delight and special thanks goes to Igor, Lena’s husband, for translating. In mythology, twins typically represent a duality of two opposing forces. In contrast, the Sisters themselves are inseparable, sharing both their work lives and home lives together in a very effective collaboration that results in incredible artistry. Their dolls, each an individual masterpiece, represent a very similar collaboration between the worlds of fashion dolls and BJDs. Not to be pegged as one or the other, Popovy dolls seem to blend the divisive line and exist in a harmonious alliance of the two that results in a very unique and beautiful whole. We thank the Popovy Sisters for sharing their journey with STAND and, like their fans around the world, look foward to seeing where that journey takes them next! You can learn more about the Popovy Sisters by going to their website at www.popovy-dolls.com and by following them on Instagram.
Little Owl
Cuckoo
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doll: OOAK Buckles Bustier photographer: Jymmii
doll: Veronique Perrin, Jordan Duval, Mademoiselle Jolie photographer: Jennifer Jones
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doll: Lumedoll Bellatrix photographer: Frankenwah
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dolls: dolls:Crystal-Elji Anima by Immortality & Mirai Suenaga of Soulbyphotographer: Smart Doll photographer: Ilona Kalinowska Rich Carasco
dolls: Crystal-Elji & Mirai Suenaga by Smart Doll photographer: Rich Carasco
dolls: Iplehouse Mars & 5th Motif Venitu photographer:Frankenwah
dolls: Rose Garden Rui on IOS body photographer: Niebieski_Kot
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doll: RoseGarden Rui on IOS Body photographer: Niebieski_Kot
doll: Edith by Integrity Dolls photographer:Patrizia Miele
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doll: Summer by Smart Doll photographer: Nicolette Peppinck
dolls: Journey Alternate by Smart Doll photographer: David Appleton
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doll: Ken by Mattel photographer: Cheryl Booth
doll: Youpla Dolls Zenji on IOS Body photographer: Niebieski_Kot
doll: Couture Design by Jymmii, doll Superdoll Sybarite photographer: Jymmii
doll: Eugenia Perrin by Integrity Toys photographer: Michaela Unbehau
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doll: Taeus by Kingdom Doll photographer:Brian Bunting
doll: Superdoll Sybarite, Couture by Jymmii photographer: Jymmii
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Your BEST SHOT As part of an ongoing article series, STAND presents tips, tricks and best practices to help you “STAND out” in your photography. In this issue, let’s discuss having fun with editing. Half of a good photograph is getting a good shot to begin with. It’s important to think about your composition, lighting, angle and other factors to get the best shot you can. The other half? It’s editing that photo to take your picture from good to great. What does “editing” mean as it relates to photography? Editing is basically making changes to a photo to enhance the image and the story you want to tell with it. Editing can be as simple as cropping or resizing an image. Editing can also encompass inceasing or decreasing details that reside in your raw data such as sharpness, light, color saturation and hue. Additionally, editing can be adding or deleting data from your image...you can change an entire background, create sunlight, and be as creative as you want! A couple of examples of editing are shown on the next page. First is a shot of Little Ted by Liz Frost holding a light saber which was shot against a solid background with the intent to replace the background later. In the second picture, the light saber has been enhanced using Photoshop by brushing a thick line of color slightly wider than the saber itself to create a fuzzy glow. Next, the background was removed (you can do this in Photoshop or other programs such as Snag It) and replaced with a Star Wars banner. Now, Little Ted looks like the young Jedi he was meant to be! Second, we have an example of how adding light can change the overall tone of a photograph and how you interpret it. The original photo shows Sienna by Kaye Wiggs holding a stuffed rabbit. The edited photo has had a light filter added to illuminate her with a soft glow. The original photo is fine, but the addition of light creates more drama and changes the mood. With the light, there is a sense of newness, freshness, and expectation. Her eyes are brighter and the mood appears happier and brighter. Now, it’s hard to capture natural sunlight unless you happen to be shooting a sunrise or sunset. So editing using pre-set filters or simply “painting” the image with a soft glow can give you the look you want. At the end of the day, your pictures can tell whatever story you want them to. Just start with the best photo you can and then have fun with the editing process. Turn a day scene into a night scene...turn your doll into a superhero flying through the sky....the possibilities are endless! Do you have to purchase expensive software to do this? To be honest, the answer is no...you can do amazing things on your smart phone. With that said, if you do use a program like Photoshop, you can do even more. Don’t be afraid to experiment and most of all, have fun!
Sculpt: Little Ted by Liz Frost
Original Photo shot on solid background
Original Photo
Edited to create “glow� on the light saber
Edited to add a themeappropriate background
Edited to add light in the background and subject to depict bright sunlight Sculpt: Sienna by Kaye Wiggs
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doll: Souldoll Oscal & Child, Luts Muhwa photographer: Frankenwah
doll: Basil by Luts Dolls photographer: Frankenwah
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doll:Pullips Queen & Pere Noel photographer: Silent Distraction
doll: Family-A Damien on Loongsoul Body & Petworks Ruruko & Apple Day Jay photographer: Niebieski_Kot
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doll: Fashion Royalty Eugenia, repaint by Park photographer: Wil Herold
doll: Amadiz Virginia photographer: Frankenwah
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doll: Pullip Nanette by Grove photographer: Silent Distraction
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doll: Fashion Royalty Elise Jolie photographer: PruchanunR.
doll: Mansion by Sybarite photographer: Jymmii
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CONTRIBUTOR CONTACT LIST Agata Zimna
https://www.flickr.com/photos/94935651@N06/
Barbara Richards
https://www.facebook.com/barbara.richards.391
Brian E Bunting
https://www.instagram.com/masterstache71
Cheryl Booth
https://www.facebook.com/Doll-Photography-by-CheryBooth-561683437295870/
David Appleton
https://www.instagram.com/miraiandfriends/
Deborah Hood
https://www.instagram.com/deborahhoodphoto/
Frankenwah
https://www.instagram.com/frankenwah/
Gwen Verhoeff
Our First Junior Photographer Submission!
Ilona Kalinowska
https://www.instagram.com/frailll/
Jennifer Jones
https://www.flickr.com/photos/grizzlies_dolls/
Jymmii
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jymmii/
Masha https://www.flickr.com/photos/bubbastudio/ Michaela Unbehau https://www.facebook.com/dollimages/ Nakia Powell Spencer https://www.facebook.com/tamika.spencer.9 Nicolette Peppink https://www.instagram.com/dilly1109/ Niebieski_Kot
https://www.instagram.com/niebieski.kot/
Patrizia Miele
https://www.instagram.com/sinevoce/
PruchanunR
www.facebook.com/pruchanunr
The STAND Lookbook is not possible without these incredibly talented people. Show them some love and let them know you appreciate their talents. Supplementary images are used with permission by photographers or sourced from various CC0 platforms.
Rich Carasco
https://instagram.com/rc2agog/
Sharon Wright
https://www.facebook.com/dollpics/
Silent Distraction https://www.instagram.com/silentdistraction1978/ Stevi T Tiffany Bauer
https://www.instagram.com/stevit_alpaca_encounters/?hl=en
https://www.squeakymonkey.com
Tyna Verhoeff
tynathebitch@yahoo.com
Wil Herold
https://www.flickr.com/photos/7507084@N07/