Erica Portelli - textile and mixed media artist



		Inspirations My dolls are creatures of the imagination – from the worlds beyond our sight and knowledge, the world of the fey. I grew up in a family of avid readers, my father introduced me to sci-fi and the other-worlds of Asimov and Herbert. My mother brought me to the riverbank home of Wind in the Willows and the strange tales of the brothers Grimm. I remember poring over books with the fantastic illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Ida Rentoul Outhwaite Later in life I discovered Tolkein and wandered the green hills of Hobbiton, then explored the dark gothic world of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast.
I took my children to see the movies 'The Dark Crystal' and the 'Labyrinth' and was delighted with the characters of Brian Froud. In my bookshop searches for more Froud I found the writings of Terry Pratchett. So where has this all led me? - to a love of reading where characters leap from the pages and into my imagination and from there they are born as the dolls I have a need to make.

Biography A clairvoyant told me I was a dollmaker in a previous life. I grew up as an only child in a close family laden with aunts, uncles and cousins, and always seemed to be surrounded by dolls. One of my earliest memories was receiving a toy sewing machine for my birthday at the age of six or seven and in my teen years I learnt to sew on my grandmothers treadle machine. When my children were born it seemed a natural progression to begin sewing dolls and toys for them, and now 30 years later I sew dolls for myself.
After completing the NSW TAFE ceramic certificate in 1984 I ran my own small pottery studio for about ten years and in 1996 completed the TAFE needlework certificate. I am a "fabriholic", collecting fabrics and fibres from all sources and love exotic colours and textures. I become very involved in the whole process of costuming by dyeing my own wool and mohair fibres and laces, printing on fabric, feltmaking and creating lacy fabrics by machine embroidering on water soluble fabric. I embellish my work with beading and embroidery. Each step of dollmaking is an adventure, right to the final stage just before completion when my dolls have decided for themselves who they are to be......and they tell me.

Click here to read my article in the Australian magazine, Dolls Bears and Collectables

Arts Resume ERICA PORTELLI Born: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA EDUCATION: 1984 NSW College of Technical & Further Education (TAFE) Ceramic Certificate (credit grade) 1990 NSW College of Technical & Further Education (TAFE) library technician 1995 NSW College of Technical & Further Education (TAFE) Needlecraft Certificate VOCATIONAL TRAINING: State Library of NSW - library displays State Library of NSW - book conservation Parramatta Adult Education College - art, sign writing I HAVE DEMONSTRATED AND TAUGHT WORKSHOPS WITH: The Potters Society of Australia, Darlinghurst The Deadwood Potters Group - Eastwood Holroyd Arts & Crafts Society - Merrylands Hewitt House Community Centre - Guildford TAFE - creative workshops for child care certificate students Parramatta Adult Education College Private pottery classes in own studio Cloth doll workshops and talks: NSW Doll Collectors Club Northern Suburbs Doll Club Hello Dollies Cloth Doll Group PUBLICATIONS: Pottery in Australia - Vol.24 No. 3 1985 Artswest - Vol. 12 No. 4 May 1995 Dolls, Bears and Collectables Magazine Vol.10 No.6 2003 ON-LINE PUBLICATIONS: Artfiles EXHIBITIONS: 1979 Holroyd Family Festival 1st Annual art & craft exhibition 1981 R.A.S. (Royal Agricultural Society of NSW) Royal Easter show (1st & 3rd prize, Showcase of Excellence) 1982 R.A.S. (Royal Agricultural Society of NSW) Royal Easter show (1st prize & commended -toymaking) 1983 Macquarie Towns art exhibition - ceramic section 1984 Final year ceramic student exhibition - Liverpool Technical College 1985 Fairfield Agricultural & Horticultural Society (2nd, 3rd, highly commended - pottery section/ 2nd prize - character doll/ highly commended -toymaking) 1986 R.A.S. (Royal Agricultural Society of NSW) Royal Easter show (1st prize - toymaking) 1988 Blue Mountains Community Arts Council - Arts Convergence ‘88 1988 Parramatta Bicentennial Exhibition 1993/4 Holroyd Family Festival Exhibition Weekend 1994 Artfusion Artists Network Exhibition - Guildford 1995 "Australia Remembers' joint exhibition miniaturist's convention 1995 Four Artists and a road - joint art project, Guildford Road, Guildford, NSW 1999 Sydney Doll Show - blue rosette, best in section, fantasy cloth doll 2000 Rosedale Street Gallery, Dulwich Hill 2001 R.A.S. (Royal Agricultural Society of NSW) Royal Easter Show (2nd prize - soft toys, creative design/ highly commended - soft toys, Australian native animal/ highly commended - folklore doll) Lots of various Doll Shows and lots of Blue Ribbons MEMBER OF: Past member of Holroyd City Council arts advisory committee Australian Textile Arts and Surface Design Association Hebees Textile Artists Group The Lateral Stitchers Group of The Embroiderers Guild NSW Inc. Holroyd Arts and Craft Society Doll Collectors Club of NSW Inc. Leprechaun Miniaturists Group Founding member Holroyd Community Arts Assoc.