I grew up on a prairie farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. When not playing in the fields, my sisters and I entertained ourselves by making cut-out dolls from pictures in catalogues. During the long winters, our mother taught us needle arts such as sewing, knitting and embroidery. Drawing was also a favourite pastime of mine, and my early artistic abilities were noticed by my family. Although I had only one real doll during my childhood, there were several younger brothers and sisters to play with and help care for.

When I was ten, my family and I moved to Ottawa, our nation's capital. In another ten years, I would move to the even bigger city of Toronto to study at the Ontario College of Art. My other studies included dressmaking, which I put to use some years later when I designed and sold my own line of children's clothing under the label Just Pretend. By this time, in the 1980s, I had two young sons who I could dress up in my latest fashions. Jesse and Kerry also became the subjects of several Prismacolour portraits I was enjoying drawing. The beauty and wonder of childhood, it seems, has always been an inspiration to my work in any medium.

Eventually, my various creative interests and skills would come together in dollmaking. My first dolls were made with cloth. When I discovered polymer clays, I began sculpting the type of dolls I still make today. It was a real delight to find such a satisfying creative form, and a pleasant surprise to realize that there were so many others -- artists, collectors and admirers -- who shared my excitement about the world of dolls.

I have been fortunate over the years to have had the encouragement and support of reps such as Riki Schaffer of the Riki Schaffer Gallery, Brigitte Hess of Puppenstube and Betty Quinn of Fantastic Fantasies. More recently, Isobel Weill of Best of Everything, Joyce Thomas of About Face, Susan Anderson of Children of the Heart, Lisa Messier of Forever Dolls, Kim Malone of the Dollery, Diane Drake of Diane's Doll Shoppe and Annie Cucinella of Raindrops and Roses have been carrying my dolls. Links to their beautiful websites can be found below.

I would like to thank all the artists who have inspired me, and the collectors who have enabled me to continue doing what I love best. I would also like to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit my website and look through my galleries of dolls. Please drop by again soon.

Dale

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