An interview with Sandra Street,
Doll maker and Fabric Artist
Sandra Street is a Pikesville artist who exhibits her dolls and fabric arts at many impressive venues in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas.
I visited her home and was able to see her unique workspace that exudes inspiration.
She began making dolls in 1995 when her (now) sister-in-law was married. Before that, she had known her for more than 20 years, and she wanted to make a special gift for her. The doll she created was so popular at the bridal shower that the other guests placed orders for their own.
When Sandra found out that some of her coworkers sold their own handmade dolls at a
Smithsonian museum gift shop in Washington, D.C., she asked the manager to carry her own work, and it was accepted.
Since then, her determination has resulted in prime placement for her art.
Sandra credits some of her success to her gumption in approaching new venues. "All they can do is tell you no," she said. "You just have to ask."
Her art is seen by more of the public at jazz shows and art festivals such as Columbia's Art Park in Howard County. She has taught dollmaking at
Irvine Nature Centerand been featured in
The Owings Mills Times and on
WJZ-TV in Baltimore.
I pressed Sandra for tips she would give other artists and received several. Actually, these can apply to many other career fields as well.
1. Create in a good atmosphere.Sandra keeps her supplies in a room that her 4-year-old granddaughter calls "the making room." But she uses the rest of her home for inspiration.
In the main room of her house, Sandra has arranged pieces from her African art collection, which she has amassed for more than 30 years. They are interspersed on clean wood floors accented with healthy green plants.
The overwhelming feeling is one of clean, pure space.
In my opinion, cluttered art rooms, while stimulating, often overwhelm and inhibit creativity. It can be hard to make more of something when the space is already full. The immaculately clean design of Sandra's main room, with its smooth surfaces and carefully placed art, allows space to think.
2. Don't forget the music.
Sandra, who for six years owned "Street Folks," a jazz coffee bar in Randallstown, has a special love for jazz music. It's usually playing in her home; when I was there I heard lovely music from Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane.
3. Don't be concerned about whether other people like what you make.
It's yours, she advises, it's your own creativity. What other people think doesn't matter. Don't hold back.
4. Work with your energy.
Don't work when you're not inspired, Sandra says. If you run out of ideas, put your work down and come back later.
Sandra puts her unfinished dolls in a spot outside her kitchen where she sees them while she does other activities. The ideas come to her throughout the day.
The dolls she makes are tall and statuesque. They wear brightly colored textiles and are adorned with handmade and vintage jewelry. Many of their components are repurposed from secondhand materials that Sandra reuses, or are given to her by friends.
She saves old fabric and beads. With leftover leather, she makes mosaic pillows and jewelry.
"I like to take discarded items and transform them into something creative and beautiful," Street says.
Often, the reycled components have special meaning to the doll's recipient. One recipient commissioned a doll in honor of her late mother. Sandra transformed a dress that belonged to the mother into a skirt, and incorporated the mother's handkerchief and a brooch. The new owner cried when she received her doll. It had the scent her mother's perfume.
To view more of Sandra's art, please visit
The Baltimore Doll Company.
