"Being “normal” rather denotes a lack of courage” - Practical Magic

Hi Nicol!  Thanks so much for taking the time out to provide this interview for ZNE.  Tell us a little about yourself.	I live in my hometown of Pleasanton CA . I grew up here and am so happy to be back for the last 18 years. I live with my wonderful husband of 25 years and we have 2 daughters. I am so excited that the oldest is currently studying abroad in London and the youngest is about to graduate high school with future career plans in design. I love to garden although I don’t get much of a chance anymore and I absolutely love to go antiquing and to the flea market . I have a great group of wonderful friends both at home and those I have met in my travels. We have had pets that range from cats and rats and turtles and goldfish but now just have a silly dog named Lily. She sleeps under my sewing table all day and gets covered with threads and glitter.
How long have you been crafting?:	I have been creating things as long as I can remember. I started as we all do in drawing with crayons and playing with playdoh . My mother is a dressmaker so I have been around fabrics and creativity as long as I can remember. And I still have the first doll I made at age 8. I began my formal creating life after my daughter was born and I was looking for something to fill the naptimes. I made dried flower wreaths and santas and dolls and sold them at craft fairs and later at stores. I designed patterns and took them to market and designed for stores. I started selling dolls and santas to stores in 1987 and did retail shows for about 5 years. I started up the pattern company with a friend in 1996 and that is when I really got interested in paper. I used vintage photos and collaging techniques on some of the pattern booklets and made fun little scrap ornaments to sell. Wow that was 10 years ago! And this year actually marks 20 years in business! Time flies!
Did you attend art school, or are you a self taught artison?:	Because my mother was creative I feel that making things from my own vision is somewhat ingrained from a young age. Unfortunately it was never an option in my family to go to art school or get a degree in any artistic field…. not that it actually occurred to me that something like that was even possible . I did study fashion merchandising in college and worked in a department store selling everything from shoes and luggage to dressing mannequins.  I feel like I am a somewhat accidental artist as I never imagined that I could make even a partial living doing something I love.
How did you develop your Signature Style?:	I think my signature style evolved all on its own. Even though all through my career, stores and companies have told me what I should make to sell and what the new hot thing is these days. I always did my own thing. From the very beginning I have always made what I liked. I figured that if I could please myself then it didn’t really matter what other people thought. Imagine my surprise when people actually responded to my things… I was in such shock that there were people out there who actually “got” me.
I was lucky enough to see your gorgeous stuff up close at The Pleasanton Heritage Festival.  I notice that you do shows and openings every now and then. How do you like that? Some of our ZNE artists are intimidated by the process of doing in-person shows and sales. Do you have any advice for them?:	Public appearances at shops and shows are actually a learned experience. If someone would have told me ten years ago that I would be doing what I am doing today I would have said they were crazy. I have always been extremely self-conscious so my first experiences were , needless to say very stressful. But I have been so amazed by the support of wonderful people that just want to share and to talk of dolls and art and being creative. It has been an amazing transformation and I am constantly overwhelmed by the support and kindness of everyone I come across. I have customers who have been buying dolls from me since the beginning and I find it so awesome that they are still so supportive of me. So the advice I would give is ~ just be yourself. Be positive and open to all different kinds of art and people and you will be amazed at the sharing and inspiration in the least likely places.
Do you have a favorite piece that you have created?:	My favorite aspect of creating is the costuming. I love to create wonderful gowns from great vintage fabrics and just the right ribbon or trim. I really very rarely keep any pieces for myself. My favorite pieces tend to be those that are the most simple. Dolls in underwear or hoopskirts where the emphasis is more on the form rather than the costuming. The costuming is definitely my favorite part of the whole process but if I were to make something for myself it would be on the more simple side. Luckily there are some pieces that really speak to my husband so he asks to keep them…otherwise I probably wouldn’t have much of my own work.
What do you do when need some creative inspiration?:	When in need of inspiration I always turn to the antiques. I love antique doll books and magazines and am totally inspired by them. Antique fabrics and trims and ribbons are also a huge source of inspiration. The best method is to spend a day sorting and folding and re-acquainting myself with the things in my stash and then the ideas start to flow. I love it when I can’t sew fast enough to accomplish all of the things that are in my head.
Tell us a little about your creative technique. Are your figures made from Paper Mache? Etc.:	The dolls I make are made from a variety of cloth and papier mache. The doll bodies are made from old linens, the favorites being old damask tablecloths. They are all hard stuffed with all-cotton stuffing. Weighted on the bottom with sand so they sit nicely. Lucky for me my mother helps me and makes most of the bodies for me…I wouldn’t be able to do it without her! I also make standing dolls who are sculpted of papier-mâché over wooden bases. Then I dress them in frocks and gowns made of vintage fabrics whenever I can or in the finest reproduction fabrics I can find. Even though the dolls are inspired by antiques they are in no way intended to be reproductions. I never attempt to reproduce antique dolls. My dolls are always the result of antique inspiration and my own quirky interpretation. For variety and to keep things fresh I also foray out into other mediums …scrap cards , paper dolls, pincushions, doll theatres and the like.
Who are your favorite artists? Do you have a preferred style for your own home decor, etc.?:	I don’t know that I can name a personal favorite artist…there are so many that have styles I find wonderful!  My home décor tends to be on the very neutral side. I am surrounded by so much chaos in my work that I finally figured out I need to have a calm space to escape to.  My home tends towards very neutral and white shades with lots of quirky things thrown in. I have doll heads lined up on shelves and collections of antique doll arms and legs gathered in bowls. Lots of old sepia toned photos and layered frames and snippets of old textiles. The one unexpected thing I have found about all of my lovely things is that teenagers find them scary! When my daughters have friends over I find that the next day the dolls are turned towards the wall and the mannequins are draped with a blanket!  It just gives me an opportunity for storytelling!
Do you have a favorite quote?:	One of our favorite quotes comes from the movie Practical Magic.... " Being “normal” rather denotes a lack of courage”
Do you have any thoughts on the value of being part of a group of supportive artists such ZNE?:	I am constantly amazed at the support of other women and especially artists. Everyone has something to learn from someone else and the enthusiasm and friendship is just wonderful. From the very beginning of my creative career I have always felt that I was different from the rest of the world. Its only in the last few years and also with the world-wide presence of the internet that I feel a kinship with so many women… that we are all seeking to be understood and that the knowledge that we can be who we want to be is so empowering.
Nicol, thanks so much!  Do you have any parting thoughts for us?	Thank you so much! I feel so honored to be asked to share my insights with such a group of talented artists. I wish everyone who reads this a token of esteem and friendship and a heartfelt wish to be everything you ever dreamed of.

 

WOW! What an interview!  I feel so lucky to have been able to ask these questions of Nicol, and I am so touched and pleased with her equally honest and ernest answers.

Please join me in thanking Nicol Sayre for taking time out to support the ZNE Prim Launch through her fabulous interview - by checking out her website, and dropping her a note to let her know how much you enjoyed her interview, with ZNE!

Nicol Sayre - Interviewed by Chel Stroud Hery - Spring, 2007

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