Introducing Polly Merclay

This life-size doll has a realistic head and hands which I sculpted in polymer clay.

Her eyes are blown glass and are so realistic there are thin red blood vessels in the sclera.  She even has eyelashes and eyebrows.

Her body is composed of galvanized wire, PVC pipe, aluminum, fiber fill and fabric.

She is approximately 5' tall and can be dressed in regular clothing size medium.   Head and hands are removable to avoid damage while dressing.

I had no one in particular in mind when I sculpted this piece although I was kind of speculating just a little bit on what I might look like in 20 years. 

I would be happy if I looked like her in the future.  I believe we earn the face we have in old age and she has a wonderfully peaceful expression that to me says she has lived a joyful life and has maintained a sense of humor. 

I'm having a lot of fun with her and have decided not to sell her as she has become part of the family.

Being moved turned out to be good for her social life. 

Here Polly gets chatted up by an admirer.  Stan the Raku man, a vendor next to the Loco Lobo booth fell in love with Polly and gave her a gift of a raku piece he had made. 

Polly hits the road!

This is Polly riding in the back seat while I returned home to Salt Lake City.   We expected more reaction as we drove down the interstate.

Apparently she looks so real people, not wanting to be rude would look away before realizing she is a doll!

10/10/03  Polly, on her way to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for a few days where my parents were serving a mission for the Mormon church.

My mother set her up in the library just to mess with people.

Just off camera is a little dog barking and straining at his leash.  Not sure if he is trying to protect her or just wants to investigate!

The owner of the dog looked a little spooked..

10/2003  Polly modeling a wearable fairy riding a dragonfly sitting on her shoulder.

24 January 2004 - Polly did great hostess duty at our Australia Day party.   Sitting quietly at the door, greeting guests as they arrived she even managed to earn a little money. 

One of the party-goers put a plastic cup with "TIPS" written on it in her hands and by the end of the evening she had several bills inside.

So... is this panhandling?

18 Feb 2004 Polly sitting in the car (safety belted of course) with Kellie and myself.   Kellie is a very talented polymer clay artist visiting from Alaska.  Click here to see her work.

This is a photo of my husband Harry as I found him watching telly with Polly.

Hmmmm.... I must get him a t-shirt that says "Plays with Dolls"!

 

See what I mean about part of the family...this is Utah after all!

 

Okay, I know this is less than dignified but just for a laugh we put Polly on the toilet with her head facing the door as a little surprise for the visiting friends and relatives.

After a long drive across country our friend who had stayed awake by drinking huge quantities of Coke bolted into the house desperate for the toilet and after the shock he got he said he didn't need to go anymore...

July 2004 we positioned her on the toilet again as a little greeting for the visiting Aussie relatives when we got home from a shared vacation. 

They were indeed surprised but not as nearly as surprised as our friend who kindly stopped in while we were gone to water the houseplants -  She was walking past the semi-darkened room in an empty house and seeing an elderly lady on the can just about lost it!

I figure she would make a great burglar deterrent.

Its summer in Utah and we've taken to sitting Polly just inside the garage door.   

When the door is open, we've  had fun watching people walk by, say hello to her and then do a double take.  Kids ride by on bikes and look... no accidents yet though.

We've even seen people drive by, slow down and point at her and say, "There she is!".

Even the UPS man has commented on how he had waved to her for months before delivering a package and getting a close look!

July 25, 2004 Utah's finest came knocking on the door investigating a concerned citizen's report of an elderly woman sitting in our garage in a wheel chair. 

Apparently there was a concern that she might be dead because she hadn't seemed to have moved in days..

The officers thought she was great, took a photo for themselves and then graciously posed so I could get this photo of them.

My mother-in-law came over for a visit and really took to Polly.

We talked about bringing her to Australia the next time we visit but decided it might be hard to explain why I'm traveling with a head in my suitcase!

Labor Day 2004 - Polly gets patriotic sitting on our porch. 

The neighbors walk by and wave but get no response....

A few days later we spotted a kindly gentleman get out of his car and walking up the bridge chatting away to Polly.  He had seen her sitting outside for several days and figured she was probably a widow since our lawn is by far the most neglected in the area. 

He stopped by to offer to come mow the lawn for no charge.  It was a little embarrassing  for me because of our lawn. and embarrassing for him because he's just spent 5 minutes talking to a doll!

September 2004: 

After a big night celebrating birthdays (Polly's 1st) at the annual artists retreat in Colorado I woke to find Polly with a satisfied expression still clutching her empty bottle of tequila, an apple on her head, a roll or Smarties between her fingers and a second place ribbon. 

Clearly she had a little help with the tequila!  Likely culprits? Belcher, Shriver, Kato, Macaw, Mojito Mama...  I just wonder who won 1st Place and for what!

Halloween 2004 - Polly was a huge hit as she greeted the Trick-or-Treaters on our porch which can only be reached by crossing a wooden bridge.  Then they had to reach past her head  to get to the doorbell with a motion-sensitive thing at her feet that shrieks when you get close. 

Those kids earned their candy at our house!

Very small children were really nervous about approaching and often sent their parents to ring the bell while they waited halfway across the bridge poised to run.  Even the parents looked a little tense to get that close.  (Maybe they saw the Child's Play movies) 

The big kids were the most fun though.  It became a test of bravado to the boys running in packs.  You could see them holding their breath as they attempted to bravely swagger across the bridge in front of their friends and then just about jump out their skin when they close enough to set off the shrieking!

At least one Trick-or-Treater refused to cross the bridge saying "Hey!  I don't need candy THAT bad!"

The really jumpy ones would hold out their bags but never take their wide, unblinking eyes off of Polly... just in case!

November 2, 2004 - Polly gets political.  She doesn't mind being called a dummy if it gets the message across!

December 21, 2004:

Polly at our 2004 Holiday Cookie Exchange Party with just a few of the participants.  (Clockwise from lower left; Natalie, Lori K., Polly M. and Lorie F.)

While we were enjoying a buffet, eggnog and spiced wine Polly spent most of the time outside on the porch hoping to catch the attention of Santa Claus with the enticement of Chocolate Chip but mostly she distracted the snowplow operators!

(shrimps on the Barbies)

Australia Day Party 2005

Polly was partying hard at our annual Australia Day Party.  In a kangaroo costume I made for my Aussie husband she sat overlooking the party with Foster's and a joey in her pouch.

Amazingly several people had been at the party for hours before being startled to realize they were standing right underneath her.

And now we wait...

We had a buddy staying with us for the ski season and this is the view from the doorway of his room.  His girlfriend (ahem... jealous girlfriend) was visiting from out of state and we figured we could sort out right away whether or not she has a sense of humor.  Turns out she did but HE was rather alarmed every time he walked into the room. 

July 2005 - Puget Sound Bead Festival

Polly rode with me on the 900 mile drive to the bead show.  I love to travel with Polly.  She never complains or asks "are we there yet?" and if someone farts in the car I can blame it on her and she accepts it. 

Rest stops are fun because people walk by, jump, and then laugh then call over their other traveling companions. 

At the show she sat patiently in the booth startling passersby.

At the end of the show the entire security staff came over to tell me the first night of the show they were doing a walk through and noticing there was still someone in the room, inquired, "M'aam?  The show is closed now.  You need to g..."  The truth dawns and another guard is called over to help and the scene repeats.

Punk and repeat... Punk and repeat...

As a nod to Ashton Kutcher's show and his wise appreciation for the older woman, I bought Polly a little necklace that says, "I love Ashton".

 

 

Polly and I pose with Helaine, an online artist friend who stopped by the show to say hello.

Late July 2005 - Our neighbors have become used to Polly and are now tricking their families and friends.  Occasionally we wheel Polly out on the porch.

Two little girls visiting across the street shouted from the porch , "Hello, Lady in the Pink!"  Getting no response they started riding their bikes and repeatedly rode past our house waving and saying hello to Polly.  My husband, thinking this was great fun started turning Polly's head after each pass when they were beyond sight. 

The girls began arguing about whether they had actually seen her head move because "I swear, she was looking the other way before!".  Finally the bravest of the two rode right to the end of the bridge and got off her bike, had a really good look and shivering rode away on her bike muttering under her breath "Dummy, Dummy, Dummy..."

  (photo on the way...)

Polly has a friend! It was suggested I name her Anna... get it?  Polly, Anna, Pollyanna? (Thanks Leah!)  I like the name partly because she reminds me of someone I knew with a similar name. And what better time for her official debut than Halloween 2005?

Last year was fun but I wanted to be a little closer to the action this time.  I'm pretty good at sitting very still not making any sound or discernable movement  probably owing to to all those years in church...  So with the aid of some makeup, a wig and an electric blanket I was able to sit for hours on the porch passing for one of Polly's friends.

People around here are fairly used to seeing Polly sitting on the porch and even wave or say hello when they pass by.  Adding another friend or two wouldn't seem terribly out of character.

Since our house has a bridge leading up to the front door there is plenty of time for trick-or-treaters to wonder about the nature of the women on the porch as they make their approach in the dark.  (These photos were taken with a flash so try to imagine the scene in the mostly dark, the cobwebs gently waving in the breeze...  BTW- Its very difficult to make Morning Glories look sinister but I did try!)

Just as visitors would get close, staring from one still face to another there is a scream from a motion activated device that goes off at their feet and since there is no movement or reaction from the women its seems pretty certain all three are dummies.  Assured and bewildered they begin to look around and see they cannot reach the door or bell but spying the basket of candy in Anna's lap, they reach for it in something like relief.  This is when I leap forward and shout "HEY!  You didn't say, "Trick or Treat!"" 

The word must have got out because there were cars driving up to visit only my house.  I really scared a group of older kids that kept saying, "I thought you were fake!" and "this is the best house ever!"

I live for this stuff!  Unfortunately I think I may have traumatized a little princess for life.  It wasn't that she was close enough to actually see me come to life but her mother and her friend's mother nearly trampled her trying to get off the bridge!  No matter how much I apologized or candy I offered she kept screaming and wouldn't come near me.

I love Halloween... I can't wait until next year!

We met a lot of wonderful people and Polly even did a little gambling.

Suze is an author, artist, instructor and television personality that is known for really creative applications for UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Powder), a material I'd love to experiment with.

Polly Merclay
cha cha CHA!

We had an extra fun time because Polly is now equipped with a fart machine that is activated with a remote control that works all the way across the room.

I had the remote at my belt and Polly just sat there assuming the innocent look.  (She's good at that!)

We were there over Super Bowl weekend and had a great time especially in elevator.   Funny how the simple press of a button can make so many people burst into laughter.  I like to think that everywhere we go we spread a little happiness... or something!

Hmmm... This will add a whole new element to the toilet sitting trick we like to play on visitors!

March 3 2007

Polly visits the hospital

Just when you think all the good guys are taken!

My brother in law Greg aka Prince Valium (a reference to the calming affect he has had on my sister) is the kind of guy whose strategy for falling asleep is to imagine what he would do with a few million dollars.  Not how he would spend it but how he would distribute it others to do the most good.  Yes he is for real!  When he was found to be the best match for kidney donation to his brother Jeff the possibility of risking his own life to save another must have seemed like a dream come true.

The recipient of a donated kidney generally heals quickly and feels good right away as though he has had a jump start.  The donor's body must adjust to functioning on only one kidney so recovery is a little tougher.

An important indication that everything is working properly after the surgery is the passing of gas.  In the typical spirit of brotherly competition Jeff was bragging that he was having great success while Greg had been having difficulty which was a cause for concern.  Polly, my daughter and I went to the hospital to visit the recovering brothers and to lend a helping fart machine! 

Its funny how nobody even looks at a woman in a wheelchair at the hospital even when she is making a variety of loud gas sounds!