My First Frida

 I wanted one of these, but I missed out.

https://barbie.mattel.com/shop/en-us/ba/inspiring-women-series/barbie-inspiring-women-series-frida-kahlo-doll-fjh65

So I made my own.

Doll remodeling is an entire world unto itself. Some of the videos are ASMR in their 'crafting as soothing activity' qualities. I was very soothed.

I have an entire separate blog post just with links and photos that helped me/enabled me through this process, which I will post next week. Promise. Probably sooner.

If I were going to buy one from Mattel, it would be Ella

Mattel website, credit on photo

The very photo from Ebay of our subject

Like Frida, she has her own back problems.

The original doll is from the Monster High dolls, Cleo de Nile, purchased on ebay.

She needed her hair combed out. Conditioner helps

And I cut out the teal hair streaks.

Gooped her up with coconut oil to keep the paint from sticking and wiped her paint off with nail polish remover.

I did file down her upper lip a little, and flattened out the bottom lip and the tip of her nose. It was a little too Barbie for me.

Her hair needed to be tamed to her head shape, so she got the deep conditioning, head first into the hot water spa. I wrapped her up to make her easier to handle.

At this point, I had to make a style choice: am I going for the sort of precision paint work that Frida would have done, or the looser line driven drawing I tend to prefer?

I went with looser. These aren't real eyes

I did take down the moustache a trifle. I have one, she had one, but I didn't want it to be the focal point of her face.

This is my favorite picture of the set. Me and Frida, hanging out on Saturday night, doing her hair. There's a little Sarah Silverman in this, and I'm good with that.

I had to glue her bangs back and cover that line with the wreath. Also glued. And sewn.

Now she needs some clothes.

What would Frida wear? Well, I have the book

https://www.amazon.com/Self-Portrait-Velvet-Dress-Fashion/dp/0811863441

which documents this exhibit which went on tour

and now lives at

https://www.museofridakahlo.org.mx/en/exhibitions/

It's hard not to pose her reacting to the camera, frankly. 

With her skirt and huipil

And a shawl.

She will get other outfits, I promise.

adding this link to a FIT YouTube presentation on the recent exhibition of Kahlo's wardrobe, 

https://youtu.be/k_9XMG8Oo9k

as curated by and spoken about by Circe Henestrosa (the head of the School of Fashion at LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore).