Lotz Studio Dolls

A little bit about Jean D. Lotz
her dolls and her wood doll research

Jean Lotz with a Lotz Hitty
c. 2003
photo by Mark Lotz

How did I start making dolls?

I have carved for a long time. I was inspired as a very young girl by a carved gift from my grand-father's best friend, and by watching my parents shape a wood block into something useful with just a knife and some rasps. I just had to do it too. I stained a lot of wood blood red before I learned to do it safely!

My sister and I loved to dress our dolls, and style their hair or what was left of it. The hours spent over my dolls and my mother's scrap bag were some of the most enjoyable times in my life. At some time during this play, I started making some of my own dolls and stuffed animals. By high school in the late 60's, I was making increasingly complex marionettes for my own amusement - just to see if I could make them.

Much later, these two interests merged and I started sculpting wood dolls for my own amusement. I wanted a wooden doll  for myself and my very young daughter, but one as nice as a Swiss wooden portrait doll that I had seen in a magazine. Since I couldn't find one of that quality, I made my own wooden head. I am far too creative to just copy another person's doll or style, so I sat at the drawing board scribbling down my ideas until I got a few crude doll patterns drafted. I cut them out to find that some worked well and these patterns are still in use, but others were a complete failure -- firewood.

I love the look and feel of wood especially wood used in fine furniture enhanced, and protected by fine finishes. Wood grain is magical to me with its swirling light and dark patterns. The feel of my wood dolls is the same as the ultra-smooth satin finish given fine furniture. The wood is protected by this finish to provide years of enjoyment.

Do I only work in wood and do I only make dolls?

Don't be surprised if I work in something totally different. I occasionally carve other subjects besides dolls and I occasionally make dolls that are not wood. I never know when I'll get interested in something new and run off on a tangent - something new to learn. Life is full of distractions.

What happened to slow doll making?

Sorry, there are few new dolls to see. The years since 1999 were very difficult for my family. We lost some loved ones and others are in poor health. I also spent many months recovering from a serious back injury. Then Hurricane Katrina hit! Our lives were completely turned upside down! During the aftermath of this storm with all the heavy work picking up storm debris, I seriously injured my back again! But this time I required surgery. I'm now better and trying to get back to work in my studio.

Thanks to all who have been so kind and patient - thanks for your prayers!

Jean Lotz is now on Ebay! I am now hoping to occasionally offer some original dolls and Hitty dolls on Ebay. Please do an Ebay search for "Jean Lotz" or "Lotz Hitty" and save that search as one of your Ebay favorites!

Lotz Wood Doll Research

I research wooden dolls, because I love the artistry of wooden dolls and I'm sharing my research via the Internet. I am always surprised at how many people have mistaken my sharing nature and generous motives for my Lotz Doll Pages. Please do not look for any hidden secret hidden meanings in my words nor ulterior motives for my sharing - there are none.

"Why hoard your knowledge keeping it selfishly to yourself to take it with you to the grave?"

My List Of "NOTS"

To reassure those who insist that I must have created my Lotz Doll Pages solely to promote my business or other businesses, I must clearly state:

"I am NOT a doll dealer. I am NOT a doll restorer. I am NOT an appraiser. I do NOT sell dollmaking supplies. I do NOT teach dollmaking classes.

Please remember, I DO NOT REPRESENT ANY OTHER COMPANY! I do not have an mass of people helping me nor working for me, and I am not interested in production on a grand scale. I do not actively promote my own dolls. I do NOT share my private contact list with any other artists, dealers or any one else.

I am not in competition with any other doll manufacturer, I am not in competition with any other doll artist, and I am not in competition with any doll dealers."

There are a lot of "NOTS" in this list but unfortunately another distrusting person will likely come up with a new "hidden business motive" or "secret agenda" for the Lotz Doll Pages that I will have to deny .... stay tuned for my growing, very humorous list of "NOTS".

photos thanks to Hanna Kahl-Hyland and Theriault's

The Lotz Doll Pages are a showcase of Ancient, Antique, Modern, Regional "Folk" Dolls, and Contemporary Wood Dolls, Hitty, plus Doll Collecting, Care and Doll making tips.

Although I am interested in all forms of art, creative expression and most types of dolls, I restricted The Lotz Doll Pages primarily to the study of the distribution, use, and styles of wooden dolls. Why? Check out the LOTZ STUDIO DOLLS WEB PAGE to find the answer - I personally sculpt wooden dolls!

While wondering if I was wasting my time getting an art degree in the early 70's at LSUNO (now UNO), I took some eye opening classes in art history and studied primitive art. I also worked on several interesting minors including anthropology. These studies developed into a very keen interest in the expressiveness of people before intensive westernization. My most personally rewarding doll research is in the areas of primitive dolls: folk dolls, African dolls, and dolls by native peoples.

My research into antique wood dolls is another exciting area of the Lotz Doll Pages project. I discovered that many techniques used today in artist dolls are not as avant garde as we are sometimes led to believe. For example: European creche dolls in the 16th and 17th centuries used many of these same "artist doll" techniques: dramatic poses, incorporation of scenery, padded wire armatures and even having wires extending from the feet to mount the figures into a stand or into the diorama. These techniques are not new at all. And today's artist dolls are not any more spectacular then these one-of-a-kind masterpieces from so very long ago! This was a very humbling discovery for me - I can only ask other contemporary doll artists to keep their eyes and minds open enough to look at the past and to learn from it.

I also wanted to know more about other contemporary wood doll artists, so I began a search for information about them. I have luckily contacted some, and I have made some very nice friendships as a result of this portion of my web page development.