Winner of four Independent Book AwardS For 2023
BOOK OVERVIEW
PART I: THE ARTIST
Exploring the privileged, conventional childhood that improbably led to Dewees’s unconventional, tempestuous, and occasionally tormented adult life—her tumultuous love affairs and heartbreaks, impulsive and complicated marriages, her commitment to the artist’s life and the unlucky business decisions that nearly broke her. They’re all threaded into her extensive forty-eight-year doll-making career creating exquisite portrait dolls for the rich and famous as well as more accessible, yet still lifelike, dolls for a wider clientele. Through all the adventures, successes, and reversals, Dewees’s exceptional artistry and imagination prevailed, leading to breakthroughs that brought her to the forefront of customized and commercial dollmaking and made her a role model for artists today.
PART II: THE DOLLS
Covering all aspects of Dewees’s expertly rendered creations, with more than 750 photographs of dolls and clothing organized by year, along with guidelines to identify the features of each doll type, via close-ups of their faces and markings, as well as samples of original hats and shoes. The Foundation dolls and later Effanbee-reissued vinyl dolls are also on display, with pictorial comparisons and reference charts to further help Cochran connoisseurs identify any authentic doll that may come their way.
PART III: THE GALLERY
Explore and enjoy a colorful gallery of portrait children with their dolls, other unique Cochran dolls, the artist’s doll-making process, and rare examples of Dewees’s own artwork.