Reader in the Spotlight II

Kelly Flanagan has been fascinated with nesting dolls ever since 1993, when her father gave her one from Brest, Belarus for Christmas. Since then, her collection has grown to over 100 and she loves "every single one." A former art student, she most certainly has an eye for beauty and an understanding of the countless hours of work that go into each piece.

"I do not have a 'theme' like some collectors have," Kelly says. "Some collectors like to collect dolls from the USSR, some collect antique dolls, some collect fairytale theme dolls, or dolls from a few particular artists. I think I try to have all sorts of dolls. I have an antique doll, I have a couple USSR dolls, mushroom shaped, pear shaped, egg shaped, even some very unique carved matryoshkas."

Kelly believes that artist matryoshkas will be a much sought after item in the coming years. "They are becoming harder to find and much more expensive due to the time it takes to make a museum quality doll. I truly see my matryoshka collection as a fine art collection."

One of Kelly's beautiful dolls.

Another of Kelly's favorites.

Some fast facts about Kelly:

Favorite food: Prime Rib

Favorite band at the moment: Linkin Park

Favorite Book: Digital Fortress

Why she likes nesting dolls: "I love how the painting is done on a three dimensional surface (which is quite difficult) and it is not just one piece of art work. With the opening up of every doll, there is another new, beautiful piece of art."

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Auf Wiedersehen!

Amy
www.GoldenCockerel.com