Colliii.com: Ciao Barbara. Why don´t you tell us a little about yourself.

Barbara: Ciao! My name is Barbara Giannelli, I am 43 and live in the coastal town of La Spezia. I have been making dolls for the past 25 years and have done, as you can imagine a lot, particularly porcelain dolls.
When I was 18 I met someone at an antique show that told me about a porcelain doll company that was looking for a painter for their dolls. I applied for the job, did a course to learn how to do it, and they gave me the job even though 200 others applied for the job! I was over the moon! I learned the whole process... making the dolls, how the ovens work and the painting of course. I saved up and bought myself an oven so I could work from home and that was the start of my doll making career.

The dolls that I made were quite popular in Italy and also abroad too. Since then the market has changed a lot and I have had to adapt to the changing demand and also situation in the doll market.  

Colliii.com: What kind of dolls do you make now?

Barbara: I make a variety. I still do porcelain dolls but now also make Reborn dolls and cloth dolls.

Colliii.com: What medium do you prefer to make?

Barbara: I would have to say I still prefer making porcelain dolls.

Colliii.com: You were one of the first artists in Italy to start with Reborn dolls. How did that work out for you?

Barbara: That is an interesting thing. As Reborning was very new here there was not a lot of information about. People thought (think..) that there is one way to recreate a baby doll, one way to paint etc, but that is not the case at all. I have a friend in the USA that helped me a lot. We know each other for a while and met while doing porcelain dolls. She sends me photos and infos and its great to see other effects for the babies too.

Colliii.com: What is the doll making scene like in Italy?

Barbara: The doll market in Italy is more of a hobby market than a real business environment.

Colliii.com: How do you get inspired for your dolls. What inspires you to create the things you make?

Barbara: I recreate things according to certain events in my life. Different things inspire me in different way. Certain events move me in different ways, and I can use those things to move me to create different dolls.

Colliii.com: Do you promote your work through shows and events or how do make sure you are "seen"?

Barbara: I do go to a several shows to sell and also just to present my dolls. I often do demonstrations to help others to learn some skills for their doll making. For example my Reborn courses are often well visited. I try to pass on painting skills, for example to learn how to make the skin look realistic. You need a lot of patience for the courses too!

Colliii.com: We have heard that your courses are always a success and very popular. Do you like doing the courses and workshops?

Barbara: Thanks for the compliment! Yes I love doing the courses. I also work in fashion and have been doing courses for some time. I hope my experience and enthusiasm rubs off on others and that it helps them to progress and have as much fun as I do.

Colliii.com: We are sure they do have as much fun! Thanks for your time. We wish you all the best for the future! To see more of Barbara vistit her website:  www.ilboschettodeifolletti.it