Sarah Maldonado

I was born and grew up in Arlington, Virginia.  The women in my family are ardent needleworkers, and I learned to sew, embroider, knit, and crochet early.  Fabric, costuming, and fashion dolls were intensely interesting to me, but science and discovery were equally fascinating. Science won out in the choice of a career.  I majored in biology and chemistry at the University of Richmond, then attended Virginia Commonwealth University to complete a PhD in microbiology.  I did postdoctoral research at Michigan State University and remained in the frozen north for a career in the clinical laboratory.  I still live in Michigan with my husband and a very large cat who supervises the studio.

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When I left the laboratory, I had time to reconnect with dormant interests and rediscover the joy of creating with my own hands.  I got reacquainted with my sewing machine, unearthed my fabric stash, and started making stuffed animals and cloth dolls.  I took classes in porcelain doll making and made reproduction dolls, both modern and antique, for a few years.  This gave me some insight into working with porcelain.  Learning to model the human figure and master mold-making took persistence, "seeing" differently, and learning from mistakes.  I made my first original doll in l998.  Although I am mostly self-taught, I am forever grateful for seminars from talented artists/teachers willing to share skills, insights, and inspiration.

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Most of my dolls are adult women.  They depict many different periods in history and various cultures through accurate representation of costume and ethnic dress.  I hope the ladies evoke a sense of elegance, intelligence, dignity, and serenity.  Each doll teaches me something new and wonderful.  Every doll challenges you to be better at each step of the process and gives you the opportunity to do something new.

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My work has been featured in DOLLS Magazine, Doll Collector Magazine, Dollreader, and Doll Castle News. I have also published articles in Doll Costuming and Dollcrafter magazines. Three of my ladies have been nominated for the Dolls Award of Excellence in recent years. I am a member of the UFDC and am pleased and proud to be an artist member of ODACA.