Such a doll: Lisa Smeenk’s creations are ‘offbeat and strange’

Lisa Smeenk holds a pair of dolls that she made by hand out of wool. A collection of her dolls will be on display at the Lawler House in Suisun City. (Brad Zweerink/Daily Republic)

SUISUN CITY — Lisa Smeenk attracted a lot of attention at Trader Joe’s.

A trail of children were following her, pointing at the doll dangling out of her purse.

Smeenk attributed it to childhood curiosity. After all, she calls her dolls “offbeat and strange.”

Barbies and Bratz they are not.

“People and Places”

The dolls are needle felted creatures. While they may resemble the human form, they may also have an oversized head and big eyes.

There’s Miss Anna Laupin, a couture bunny whose dress is made of silk, mohair and Correidale fleece. She dons a necklace of juniper and iridescent glass.

There’s also Mo’Nique, who has a big red heart in her midsection. Her angelic face is attached to a body that has arms and legs of equal length.

They also have their own stories.

Wugi eats loquats and saves the beautiful seeds instead of spitting them at the other kids.

And there’s Fred, who thinks he’s a scary death rocker. Actually, he’s only scary.

They come with a little tag that says their name. And some are accompanied by little booklets with stories that come from Smeenk’s imagination.

Smeenk, who grew up in Fairfield and Vacaville, has some of her creations at the Lawler House Gallery. They are part of the new exhibit opening Saturday.

She was at the Taos, N.M., annual wool festival when a friend introduced her to the fiber art of wool felting.

“From day one it’s been an interesting trip,” Smeenk said of the dolls.

She started making them for stocking stuffers. Then adults wanted their own. Now it seems to have a life of is own.

“It’s getting more complex (to make them),” she said.

Most of the dolls take about 10 hours to make. Some can take as many as two weeks, depending on what’s involved.

Smeenk spends one or two hours a day on them. It is a change of pace from her work at the Berkeley Geochronology Center.

“It really is a fun art form,” Smeenk said, adding that people don’t really understand how she makes the dolls.

The art is relatively easy to learn, she said. In the future she said she hopes to do a workshop at the Lawler House Gallery.

One of the most unusual compliments Smeenk has received came from a woman who purchased a doll and told her that looking at the doll every day was better than therapy.

“They are kind of silly,” Smeenk said of the dolls.

She was also told the story of a teen docent at Lawler House who talked to the dolls as she dusted around them.

Dolls bring such powerful memories to many adult women, Smeenk said. She has many of her creations peppered throughout her home.

“They warm up the space and make it friendly,” she said.

For more on Smeenk’s creations, visit http://needlefeltdolls.com.

Smeenk will be at the Lawler House Gallery for the reception for the next exhibit, “People and Places.” The event is from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at 427-6957 or amaginnis@dailyrepublic.net.

Short URL: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/?p=73881

Posted by Amy Maginnis-Honey on Aug 4 2011.

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