Featured Artist

Kellie Beckett

We would like to welcome our newest addition to The Professional Makers Art Guild, Kellie Beckett. Here is some information about Kellie in her own words. "My name is Kellie Rachel Beckett. Ive been sculpting since June 2009. I have no history of artistic abilities nor have I shown much interest in art of any kind. I always wanted to have something that I did well, but for the first 44 years of my life I just didnt know what it was, until making a cake for a baby shower. It is truly amazing that I stumbled into doll making quite by accident.

Oh, I can remember a couple of little things here and there from when I was young and tried my hand at dabbling in this and that. I liked to play in the sand and make sand people. Im very fair skinned with freckles and reddish hair so that beach bunny scene wasnt for me. I made a paper machete clown head and a clay hand in elementary school. I painted when I had to for school projects, but nothing really stands out in memory for being artistically inclined.

My work history is actually in finish carpentry, cabinet lamination and installation for about 20 years before I decided I wanted to become a nurse. I worked for one of the busiest hospitals in Central Florida in the Pediatric Emergency room for 3 years before I came to work with the Health Department in 2006.

My day job now is as a Nurse Care Coordinator for Healthy Start. I have the opportunity to help women during pregnancy, in between pregnancies and children up to age 3 to be healthier through assessing needs, providing education, resources, support, referrals. I also get to be a Co-facilitator for Centering Pregnancy. This is such a wonderful way to get all of the very best that health care has to offer. In Centering women with similar due dates to receive group prenatal care. Each is welcomed to bring a significant other to the group for support while each prenatal client receives assessment by our Licensed Provider, education and support from the Co-facilitator and the other group members during their pregnancies. At the end of our 10 sessions we have a baby shower. This is where my real story begins.

I wanted to make a cake for our groups baby shower and decided to make some homemade fondant. I got a recipe from the internet and made my own. After the cake was baked I decided I would make some cute little baby faces out of fondant. Well, long story short, I had baby faces literally all over my kitchen. They were on every single surface imaginable! They were even on the window sill. My husband must have thought Id lost my marbles! But instead of him giving me a hard time he said, Hey, youre pretty good at this. Why dont you get some clay instead?

That is exactly what I did. There must be a gazillion kinds of clay in the world, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I tried every kind I could get my hands on. Id whittle away at the clay with toothpicks, knitting needles, crochet hooks, dental tools, you name it I tried it! I still have my first two uglies, I named them Ygore and Ygora. I could not possibly part with them. Theyre pretty scary! I keep them to remind myself how much Ive learned since that day in June of 2009.

I had no idea what an OOAK doll was, nor did I know what OOAK even stood for. I didnt know how to pronounce it even! Thank goodness I worked at the clinic with a lovely, witty and fun lady named Joyce Musgrave. She is a Registered Nurse and she knew just what to say to get me to keep trying my hand at sculpting. She said I was good. I laughed! Good?! Did she see something that I didnt see early on? Perhaps. She was quite the avid doll collector. She had several doll houses that she had built and furnished with lavish accessories and beautiful tiny dolls. Surely she must have mistaken me for some artist or something. She kept encouraging me to continue to sculpt. She introduced me to ebay where a whole new world opened up for me. I looked in awe at some of the most amazing dolls-OOAK (One of a Kind) dolls made from love and heart and hands. I wanted more. I wanted to learn more, do more be more. I decided I could actually be good at something. Why not be good at making dolls?

My dolls tend to be smilers, perhaps thats because I smile as the clay takes on a personality all its own. Im not sure if I smile because the clay is smiling or if the clay is smiling because my goofy face is looking down on it. Whatever reason, I feel as if these little bits of joy have been there all along. They seem to pour out of me one smile at a time. I cannot explain the joy I feel when someone sees one of my little smilers and flashes me the biggest grin and shakes their head saying, Beautiful! No one can resist a smiling baby-no one! I love to share the smiles.

Im truly grateful for the love and support I have here at home. My husband (Mr. Right) and I have been married for 5 years. I have a 20 year old son (Both are geniuses). They each offer their input on my little creations. My husband lets me know when the convection oven dings by saying, Ding-Babys Done! and You sure do make cute kids and Now, thats one good looking baby and my 20 year old son offers his support, Yeah, Mom.uhthats a real nice Either way I know Im in this whole new Doll World for good. Im playing with the clay every day and loving it!

This is my joy-Im not sure where this art will take me- but since Im only here for a short while (were all just visitors here)- might as well enjoy the journey."

View Kellie Beckett's Page.