It all started with Ian. Well, it started with the idea of Ian. I don't know him, but I have learned a lot about him.
He started as some Sculpey modelling clay which was formed into his head and then baked in the oven. I picked up a 50 cent doll from a Swap Meet table. She was one of those Bratz dollz that was a terrible design, but I was eye-balling her hair.
I have a background in hairstyling but I never intended on using it to glue individual pieces on the head of Ian.
The history of Ian's body is pretty funny. I thought I could do the same for the torso as I did his head. I made a wire-mesh frame and then applied the same clay to it and baked it up. I had no idea how to do arms, though and so I left long wires there and some wires for legs hoping to figure it out later.
I made a big move from Los Angeles to Canada and I didn't want my three dolls damaged (The Organ Grinder and Miss Ella were also in my knap-sack) and through Airport Security I went. Well, that was a mistake. I was yanked aside by border officials where I was asked, "If I stick my hand in this knap-sack, will anything hurt me?" I wasn't even thinking about it and said, "No, absolutely not." He then pulled out Ian and put him through rigorous testing in all their machines. It's pretty funny since Ian in the story is a Savant set back in the 30s who goes through some pretty extreme testing to dampen his behaviour.
It was all I could do to try and explain this to the official who eventually just gave up on my blithering and let me through.
When I say I have learned a lot about Ian, it's because of that border official that I bonded with this doll. I was scared they would throw him out and I felt a bit like a mother watching her child being taken from her. I had already written all the words from the record and the story was inside my head (book later on) so needless to say, I needed to have him come to Canada with me.
I go into a bit more detail about Ian in my 'About' section on karenstever.com Here is an excerpt from it;
"My hope with ‘Idiot Savant’ is to inspire others to THRIVE. I picked a character who I think most of us can relate to which was a 9 year old boy named Ian. Ian has talent with no outlet. Ian’s childhood was robbed. Ian has a special connection with animals. Ian sees things that others don’t. Ian is a Savant in an ignorant world where they view him as an idiot. He has good mentors and bad teachers. I set it in the 30s because I love that era but believe it set some very bad patterns that are still present today. This makes the title of the record actually timely, not archaic or politically incorrect."
And so begins the tale of Ian Savant. ;)
Starting the storyboarding for the next video, in the meanwhile, watch the first video below and see Ian at the Carnival...
Karen
"I'm so green, it's so weird...I never asked them to ever come here." ~Green from 'Idiot Savant'
He started as some Sculpey modelling clay which was formed into his head and then baked in the oven. I picked up a 50 cent doll from a Swap Meet table. She was one of those Bratz dollz that was a terrible design, but I was eye-balling her hair.
I have a background in hairstyling but I never intended on using it to glue individual pieces on the head of Ian.
The history of Ian's body is pretty funny. I thought I could do the same for the torso as I did his head. I made a wire-mesh frame and then applied the same clay to it and baked it up. I had no idea how to do arms, though and so I left long wires there and some wires for legs hoping to figure it out later.
I made a big move from Los Angeles to Canada and I didn't want my three dolls damaged (The Organ Grinder and Miss Ella were also in my knap-sack) and through Airport Security I went. Well, that was a mistake. I was yanked aside by border officials where I was asked, "If I stick my hand in this knap-sack, will anything hurt me?" I wasn't even thinking about it and said, "No, absolutely not." He then pulled out Ian and put him through rigorous testing in all their machines. It's pretty funny since Ian in the story is a Savant set back in the 30s who goes through some pretty extreme testing to dampen his behaviour.
It was all I could do to try and explain this to the official who eventually just gave up on my blithering and let me through.
When I say I have learned a lot about Ian, it's because of that border official that I bonded with this doll. I was scared they would throw him out and I felt a bit like a mother watching her child being taken from her. I had already written all the words from the record and the story was inside my head (book later on) so needless to say, I needed to have him come to Canada with me.
I go into a bit more detail about Ian in my 'About' section on karenstever.com Here is an excerpt from it;
"My hope with ‘Idiot Savant’ is to inspire others to THRIVE. I picked a character who I think most of us can relate to which was a 9 year old boy named Ian. Ian has talent with no outlet. Ian’s childhood was robbed. Ian has a special connection with animals. Ian sees things that others don’t. Ian is a Savant in an ignorant world where they view him as an idiot. He has good mentors and bad teachers. I set it in the 30s because I love that era but believe it set some very bad patterns that are still present today. This makes the title of the record actually timely, not archaic or politically incorrect."
And so begins the tale of Ian Savant. ;)
Starting the storyboarding for the next video, in the meanwhile, watch the first video below and see Ian at the Carnival...
Karen
"I'm so green, it's so weird...I never asked them to ever come here." ~Green from 'Idiot Savant'
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