“Soft sculpture dolls make me smile,” says Ann Ward owner of Inner Child Creations. Passing those smiles along to others is her ambition.
Coming into the world of art was a huge shift for Ward. Her college degree was in math and her masters in computer science. Nearly all her working life was spent in the analytical side of the business world. She was drawn to art but also intimidated – “I can’t do that,” she told herself. But Ward says the possibilities of art dolls opened up to her when she began attending the Houston Quilt Festival with the excuse of visiting her son and his family. There she met and took classes from some wonderful doll artists and was “blown away.”
“The personality and quirks that can be put into soft sculpture dolls are lots of fun,” says Ward. “They also challenge my analytical skills as making cloth dolls is often a series of problems to be solved. How do I get the right pose? What tucks and darts are needed to get a good shape? But especially, what details will give it the character I want to convey?”
Ward says she has been allowing her “inner child” more and more freedom as she creates her own designs. “Also, working with the talented, creative and generous crew of Imagine That keeps me continuously inspired.”