Colliii.com: Hello Giusy, why don´t you start by telling us a little about yourself.

Giusy: Hello! Well my name is Giusy Cavalli and I come from a small rustic town in the North of Italy near Bologna. It is a beautiful place with lots of hills and greenery and is very picturesque.
Until a few years I used to work as a school teacher. I live with my son and my pets, 2 dogs a huge cat and my sweet little rabbit keep me company!

Colliii.com: How long have you been involved with dolls and how did you begin?

Giusy: The first dolls that I had were the ones I played with as a child, but from my childhood on my love of dolls never really went away. About 10 years I almost by accident saw an advert for a porcelain doll making course that a German artist had advertised in one of our local newspapers. I promised myself that I would take part in the course and then the following summer I had the pleasure of holding my very first „self made" doll! I will never forget that moment when I held the finished doll in my hands.
I visited several other course afterwards to hone my skills, and I learned several tricks that help make each doll unique.

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

Giusy: I started by making porcelain dolls. I loved the fine details and the elegance that porcelain dolls have. But because I am quite adventurous I quickly started with other mediums too such as cloth dolls made out of Glorex and even Reborn dolls.

Colliii.com: What is it about doll making that you like?

Giusy: I love watching how a doll develops. From the basic materials into a finished doll, its amazing to watch! I also love creating little individual touches to make the dolls unique.

Colliii.com: Of all the dolls that you do, which do you like making the most?

Giusy: I love making porcelain dolls. I find them very attractive and they have a certain elegance to them that is difficult to explain. I am also working very hard oon my Reborns at the moment. I love watching how they slowly develop from a kit into a doll that is so realistic!
I remember one time at I show that I was exhibiting at, an older lady came to my stand and said to one of my Reborns „You are so cute and look so real. I would love you to come home with me and keep me company" I thought that was really sweet!

Colliii.com: How is the doll scene in Italy?

Giusy: Well to be honest I don´t think the doll scene is that big in Italy, especially for artistic and collector dolls. Most people that buy dolls in Italy buy the cheaper dolls because they want to have lots of them. Many people think that the value of a collection depends on the amount of dolls you have, not on the dolls themselves and the work that the artist put into the doll in the first place.

Colliii.com: You visit a lot of shows and exhibitions, which ones are the most important for you?

Giusy: I have already been to quite a few this year. I especially remember the first one though, it was called "Il Mondo delle Bambole" which means „The world of dolls". There were lots of Italian artists as well as international artists there and I met many people with whom I am still friends today.
I have also had the opportunity to have many of my dolls displayed in magazines such as
"La Bacchetta Magica" and "Susanna" as well as other Italian newspapers. So that has been very important for me too.

Colliii.com: What advice would you give to somebody that is starting out with doll making?

Giusy: You can learn a lot from the new media which is available, especially the internet. There is so much help out there and so many sources of inspiration that can help people on their creative way. I would advise people to keep their eyes open and to learn as much as they can. Of course that is only the beginning! You never stop learning.

Colliii.com: What plans have you got for the future?

Giusy: I am looking forward to sculpting beautiful new dolls. That is my biggest goal and its important to have a target to reach for.

Colliii.com: We are looking forward to seeing the dolls hopefully soon! Thanks for your time Giusy, we wish you all the best for the future!

To see more of Giusy´s work then visit her homepage by clicking here: www.giusycavalli.it