Originally published in
The Black Doll-E-Zine Group –
December 2006
PROFILE
OF AN ARTIST – GLORIA YOUNG (now Gloria Rone)
By
Debbie Garrett
I had the pleasure of
"meeting" Gloria Young via the Internet in August 2006 after
she expressed an interest in being profiled in a future issue of The Black
Doll-E-Zine.
That future issue has presented itself in the form of our new e-mail
group at Yahoo, and I am pleased to share the doll art of Gloria Young
with The BDE Group readers and what inspired her to
begin creating it. Because of our new format, Gloria's profile appears in
three parts. To ensure that
the images can be viewed by all readers, they are included in the profile and
are also stored under the Photos link in the Artist's Profile album at The BDE Group website.
Q. When
and what inspired you to begin making dolls and how long have you been making
them?
In April of 2000, my father, Edward
Young, was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. While visiting him one day
at the hospital, he was upset and in a sad mood. Usually he was the [happy-go]-lucky
dad no matter what. I did not realize how much pain he was really
in. I wanted to make him
something to cheer him up and put a smile back on his face. I went home thinking to myself,
"Daddy loves looking at my art work. Knowing he loved cowboys and Indians,
I decided to make him an Indian doll. Even
though I was an artist all my life, I had no real clue or desire to make
dolls. My dad was an
artist, too. He enjoyed
sculpting and making airplanes and canes out of wood that he found during his
daily walks. I went to the
local craft store and bought a plastic face mold, beads, feathers, and a piece
of leather. I found a toilet paper roll and
used that for the body. I
sat down, plugged in the hot glue gun, and began gluing parts together. After a few frustrating hours, I had
what I called a doll. I
took this doll and gave it to my dad. He laughed and said, "Kid that's
cool. I don't know where I
got you from." Just
seeing the smile on my dad's face was enough for me to continue making dolls,
and that is what I did. After
he passed away, the nurses told me that my dad carried that doll with him
through five back operations. They
said he would say, "Don't forget my dolls." Dolls have become a big part of my
life. I love this so much. I have self-taught
myself through many trials and tribulations of making dolls and many
mistakes. I have come a
long way and still have much to learn. I
have two collections of dolls that I make. I especially make slavery-style dolls,
mammies, cotton pickers, elderly people and children.
 |
| Bedtime Doll |
Q. What
is your preferred medium and why was that medium chosen?
I really enjoy using the polymer clay because the end results are
so lifelike. I also work in
cloth and wood.
Q. Do you focus on one type of doll or do you create a
variety of genders or age groups?
I like creating a variety of dolls, young and elderly, mostly
female.
 |
| Deb's doll, Lou-Ellen made of stained cloth |
Q. Elaborate
on your first doll. Do you still have it? What was its name?
Were you pleased with its outcome? If you sold it, for how much did it
sell, and to whom did you sell it?
My first doll was an Indian doll made for my father. I am not sure what to think of that
doll… it was okay. It
needed some help, but my dad loved it. I
still have it. I plan to
pass it down to my girls.
Q. Describe
your latest doll creation and the inspiration for creating it?
My latest dolls are slavery type. I always loved Black history and all
the stories of Harriet Tubman.
Q. Before
you begin making a doll, do you have an idea what the doll will look like or do
your dolls create themselves?
I start with an idea and then the dolls tell the stories. I must do the listening and let them
play the stories out.
Q. Have you
ever created a portrait doll? If so, are your dolls made to look like
people you know?
Yes, I made a portrait doll of my father. It looks just like him.
 |
| Portrait doll of Gloria's father |
Q. Does
each doll have its own personality?
Every doll I create has its own
personality.
 |
| Mammy |
Q. How
do you decide on the clothing and accessories for your dolls and do you make
these?
I began making the dolls, and then
the dolls tell me what they should wear. I do make the clothing.
Q. Do
you have your own personal style or trademark? If so, please elaborate.
Yes, I do on some of my
dolls. I carve my wood
dolls' heads in a square-like position. Most
have an almost flat face.
Q. How
do you decide what to name your dolls and do their names have meanings?
I think about my childhood memories,
about things that are important to me, and sometimes things that are happening
currently.
Q. Do
your dolls tell a story? If so, would you share a brief one?
Yes, all my dolls tell a story. I had one doll called "Mama's
Biscuits." The little
girl was remembering cooking with her mama. She had a basket of biscuits in her
hands and was dressed in a little dress with an apron.
 |
| Mama's homemade biscuits |
Q. Do you
want collectors to gain a sense of realism through looking at your dolls or are
your dolls caricatures? What else do you desire for collectors to gain by
owning your dolls?
I want the collectors to smile and enjoy the stories the
dolls are telling them. I
want them to understand the artist and get a feel for the artist's
personality. I want them to
enjoy a nice piece of art.
Q. Approximately
how much time is required to make one of your dolls from start to finish?
It all depends. If
I start a doll, sometimes I put it down and walk away until the story comes to
me. Sometimes it might take me a week or two and sometimes it might be a couple
of days if I continue to work on it all day.
Q. In a
years' time, approximately how many dolls do you create?
I think I make about 25-30 dolls in a year's time.
 |
| Servant dolls |
Q. What is the average cost of one of your
dolls today?
The average price is about $150.00
 |
| Doll from Nana's Birthday series |
Q. How do
you present your dolls to the doll community -- through doll shows, the
Internet, auctions, etc.?
I have been having home shows and I sell via the Internet.
Q. If you
have done doll shows, have you done any recently? Do you have any
planned for the future. If so, when and where?
Yes, I plan to do a show at the
Philadelphia Black Doll Show in May of 2007.
Q. Do
you teach doll art?
Yes, I have taught children at the Boys and Girls Club where I am
the art director.
Q. Do you
have any tips for aspiring doll artists?
Yes, keep your head up; follow your dreams; and never stop trying.
 |
| Cotton Picker |
Q. What's
next for you? Do you see yourself creating dolls long into the future?
I want to get some articles out to the public and let them know about my
dolls. I would love to have
my dolls displayed in some of the finest museums.
Q. How can
collectors contact you?
FINAL COMMENT:
I want to thank The Black
Doll-E-Zine for
sharing my profile with its readers.
 |
| Shelley and Rabbit series |
~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you, Gloria, for allowing The BDE to profile you (and I still need one of your polymer clay
dolls).
Gloria's Current contact information:
~*~*~*~*~*
Due to image space limitations, the following photos, submitted with the ones above in 2006, were not published with Gloria's profile. They are additional fine examples of Gloria's doll art.
 |
| I Miss Daddy |
 |
| Easter Blessings |
 |
| Shelley and Rabbit |
 |
| Nana's Birthday |
 |
| Nana's Birthday series |
 |
| The Old Rugged Cross |
dbg
