Matroyshka, Russian Nesting Dolls

 

Seasons Greetings and Merry Christmas!

I had the great challenge and pleasure of painting my very own Russian nesting dolls.
When I saw the opportunity on Facebook, to paint dolls for an exhibition, I couldn’t resist! Part of all art proceeds will benefit Toys for Tots, what could be a better reason?

I have collected a couple of dolls in the past, admiring the craftsmanship as they sat on my desk. The fine brush strokes,bright colors and patterns created such a charming piece. These dolls, which served as a visual example, helped to inspire my very own version, of Russian dolls. One was given to me by a Mongolian foreign exchange student (When I was a freshman in high school) the other I bought at the Yukon Czech Festival. The dolls over the years, have endeared me to the Matroyshka tradition (Russian Nesting Dolls).

I hope I have done the Russian traditional toy justice. Below are all the photos of all the dolls and some process work. The largest doll, in blue, measures about 6″ tall. I bought the plain wood dolls at hobby lobby, then painted them with acrylic paint and layered clear gloss varnish over the top to seal the paint.