Bass Player, Mark Fain, as a Needle-Felted Doll

Finally! I've finished and photographed my latest needle-felted doll. I've been working on this one since the Fall, but I wasn't very dedicated for a few months there. Too busy working on Minikins, I guess. The doll has been finished for about 2-1/2 weeks, now, but it's taken some time to make the guitar.

This doll is based on Mark Fain, a well-known Bass player for Bluegrass and Country music (played with Ricky Scaggs for years). He just happens to be the Bass player on Buddy's latest CDs --- which is what gave me the idea for the doll. It started when Elizabeth and I went down to Gat3 Studio with Buddy and Kay in June. Buddy was recording his CD, Noah Believed, and we spent two days at the studio, while the recording was going on. The first day is when all the background musicians came in to record the tracks. Mark was the first one to arrive, and Elizabeth and I were convinced -- almost from the first glance -- that he would make a fabulous needle-felted doll. Throughout the rest of the day, we watched him and took mental notes of details that would transfer well to the doll (e.g., his orange wrist watch and endless supply of chewing gum). Once home and ready to begin work on the doll, I printed out some of the pictures which Kay had taken during the session.

(See More Pictures by CLICKING HERE.)

He really turned out like I wanted, and it was really enjoyable to felt the pink shirt. I just love brown and pink wool! Photos above show the doll and the real Mark. The doll sits 8-1/2 inches tall and weighs 2-3/4 ounces without his guitar. He was felted with .40 and .42 gauge needles and took approx. 59 hours to make.

The guitar is a miniature replica of the one that Mark played while recording Buddy's CD. Dad made it from Basswood, and Elizabeth painted it (using a pearl coating to give it the shiny look). Dad used glass beads, straight pins, fly-fishing sinkers and delicate wire to make the knobs, buttons and strings. Aren't Elizabeth and Dad a great team?! The finished guitar weighs one ounce. Be sure to check out more pics of the doll by viewing the photo album.