About Charlotte Whatley in Her Own Words
I am a published paper doll artist, certified leathersmith, wearable art designer, costumer, writer, teacher, and seasoned dilettante of the meaning of life.
I can be inspired by gasoline rainbows and broken Coke bottles in a gutter as easily as Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
My art was shot by a drunk in a Texas saloon. (No one was hurt).
My art was accepted into the Victoria & Albert museum collection. (No one was hurt).
For those impressed with degrees: I am two below zero.
I have a Master's of Art in Fashion Design & Historic Costume from Colorado State University. I graduated with high honors. I have Bachelor of Arts from Texas Tech University. I barely squeaked through with a spotty GPA, but I learned a lot from conversations spent at the Student Union coffee lounge. If one must waste one's youth, better it be in the company of good friends equally wasted.
I apprenticed as a Leathersmith of Garments with Master Michael Guli for two years before achieving certification. My leather skills earned me a Designer Loft Award at the Fort Collins Colorado ARTWEAR 2007 show. I was chosen as a Bernina Fashion Designer in 2008 (that's a Pretty Big Deal) and a lot of other awards, recognitions and acquisitions to prestigious art collections., including the Bethnal Green Toy Collection, a division of the V&A in London (also Big Deal).
Today, I am recognized as one of the top paper doll artists of the 21st century. My secret? My unique approach to obtaining a likeness: It's not just about making marks on paper, It's not even about making the RIGHT marks. It's about making each mark tell the story, sing the song or dance the dance of the zeitgeist of each soul so that the finished piece transcends accurate recordings by capturing a deeper life essence of the subject. A good drawing is really a love affair with the paper.
I presently lives in rural Southern Iowa. Just yesterday I saw the most beautiful vision on the road: a large pile of horse manure literally covered with about a hundred tiny yellow butterflies. It looked just like a lovely lady's hat from the 1960s. As I approached, the butterflies flew up into the air in one mass of swirling winged sunlight. Ah! The childish giggle of that magical moment! Can you hear it?
