After reading numerous articles and posts about reborn baby dolls and whether or not it is acceptable to have one or enjoy one, I found myself asking myself, as the artist what do I think on the matter. After all I just enjoy making dolls because truly I love to paint. And I love the challenge of making the doll look as lifelike as possible. I find it fascinating that some people like to enjoy these dolls for more than just collecting. I can see why, they are fun to hold and dress up. The reborn baby dolls look like a real baby and before long, I am sure there will be robotics to make them really act real.
Here I am finishing up a doll by attaching all the limbs and head to a body.
Some Reborn baby dolls have cloth bodies and vinyl heads and limbs, some have vinyl bodies with vinyl heads and limbs, and some have body plates which tie on to the cloth bodies of the first type I mentioned. And to make things more confusing, some are made of Silicone.
Some people like them because they just collect, some like them because they enjoy the idea of babies and even if the babies are not real, they can play with them for a while but without the responsibility of a real baby. It's like a barbie in a way, you can collect them, buy clothes and accessories for them, dress them up, play with them, show them off, wash them up, style their hair, take them in public and surprise people, hold them, snuggle them, smell them (some of them have scented wafers in them that smell like baby powder), or enjoy it on your shoulder and it seems to fill some strange void that a newborn baby does fill. I think it fills a longing for a tiny child who depends on you. But with a Reborn Baby Doll, it's a collectible item and a toy all in one. What's even better is that at the end of the day no matter what there is no responsibility as there is with a real child. Unless the user is playing the part of Mommy or Daddy and want to pretend it is real, they can stay up all night feeding, burping it and changing it, but if not, the doll will not require any care as a real baby does, after all, it's technically an artisan made collectible.
Can you see how realistic the paint job is? Did you know over 60-80 hours can go into creating just one doll.
I have observed a lot of little girls who want them and parents will shell out mass dollars to enjoy their own little pretend baby and I think that is a great thing as a parent of my own children to see these little people practicing for parent hood later on, it can't hurt to help them build their parenting skills. Heck even my 4 year old grandson wants his own boy doll.
This reborn has just gotten it's body on and was just "reborn"
Let's face it, reborn dolls could fulfill some need or loneliness with children, teenagers and adults and prevent some pregnancies and on the other hands it could make some folks want a baby more. I also noticed there is a popularity with groups of preteens and teen friends who collect their dolls and go shopping for them, so it brings together people in friendship with a common hobby.
The cost is high because of the cost to create the doll, and the amount of work that goes into the multitude of layers of paint, baking it, rooting hair and gluing in details. Many folks have to save up to get one of these little cuties. Because the dolls are pricey, there are some who can't help buying the dolls, spending money they don't have, and putting their families in to financial difficulties. And other folks who are wealthy enough to buy their dollies full on furnished bedrooms and furnishings, lavish wardrobes and more. But either way, if the person enjoys the doll as a hobby, a therapy tool, or collectible item, what is so wrong with that? If the doll helps fill a void in their life and makes them feel happy then I say go for it. And if it helps a person transition after the loss of a child, there is nothing wrong with the therapeutic value, as long as the person realizes it is just a doll and does not think it is real. I have seen the look of a couple who got a doll after losing a child, and it meant a lot to them. But I know they knew it was just a doll.
I personally will continue painting them as long as the painting and crafting of the doll makes me happy and if others enjoy it then it makes it even better. When I see the result of my painstaking work looking ultimately like a real beautiful baby, that is good enough for me. But for some reason I am grounded in the reality that it is a doll and only a doll that I can enjoy painting and that it is not really meant to be mine but it will belong to someone who desires it. I personally love to dress, stylize and hold the doll after I create it, but though it feels sort of like a real baby it is not quite the same.
I really love seeing my craftsmanship in the finished doll. It makes me feel like I accomplished something and that something is adorable too. I love watching other artists do their painting and seeing people's reactions to the reborn baby dolls. I think it's really fun to watch people go nuts over their dolls. It's really cute and reactions to them are often unexpected!
I would love to hear your opinion so make sure to comment me and let me know how you feel about Reborn Baby Dolls.
Have fun and enjoy your reborn baby dolls!
Kimberly
No comments:
Post a Comment