What is your background? Did you have a creative childhood? How and when did you first begin to create dolls or figures? Describe the first doll you made.
I was born near Erie, PA. Yes, I had a very creative childhood. My Dad would bring home wonderful pads of gray paper that the engineers used to make technical diagrams. Since they were completely blank, I could fill them with drawings. Drawing on those pads is a very happy memory -- I can't think of any time in my life that was so free. Later, when my mother was determined to make me thin by sending me to the Little Debbie Dance Studio to dance the flab away, I discovered oil painting by sneaking upstairs to an art class. Being an oil painting dance refugee is another very happy memory.

I never made sculptures with fabric as a child, although I worked in clay and did animated films. It wasn't until I saw a demonstration in college by Judy Jampell that I was introduced to the potentials of "soft sculpture." That particular lecture was a key inspiration when I had to deal with the dreaded Eli competition. (The Philadelphia College of Art had all it's senior illustration students participate in a contest called the Eli Award. It succeeded in turning most of the students into emotional basket cases because in those days you could make a very good living being an illustrator, and the winners of the Eli award became instant celebrities with many lucrative job offers.) I had seen Judy Jampell use fabric in a 2 dimensional way, creating a facade that would be photographed for an illustration, and I wondered if the technique could be expanded to 3 dimensions. So I built a crude wire scaffold, covered it in foam and layered nylon on top. I made four figures (a sophisticated lady with a neurotic dog, a chubby gay guy in black leather, a bag lady, and a pimply-faced Harry Krishna) and called the little diorama "Street People." To my surprise and many a professor's abject horror, I won an award. One of the professors was so upset he wrote me several times claiming I had "ruined the Eli forever." He also wrote this line -- "You have swerved off the golden path, seduced by a bastard medium." You know you are on to something when what you do sparks that kind of reaction. At the time, though, I thought animation was my future, so I turned down all the offers and went to California.

A year or so later when I was a Disney animator, I revisited my fascination with making fabric figures. I improved the design by using internal wire skeletons that could be moved and positioned. Originally they were to be animated three dimensionally, but as I got more interested in their potential as sculptures I left Disney to explore the possibilities. My figures now are not designed to move at all -- I gave that up to concentrate on realism and detail -- but the moveable internal skeleton is still there, at the heart of each figure.

What kind of doll/figurative art do you make? How do you describe it when asked?
When I am asked what I do I say I make realistic sculptures using fabric.

How did you learn to make your style of art? (formal training, or are self-taught?)
I have had a lot of formal training in traditional mediums, but when it comes to sculpting in fabric, all of that was self taught because no one had ever done it before.

What is your favorite medium, what do you like most about it?
My favorite medium is sculpting in fabric -- nylon stocking fabric to be precise. What I like most about it is how it is very close to human flesh. The color is glowing, the fabric is soft and warm -- no other traditional medium comes close to the realism I can get in fabric. It is a mystery to me why the world isn't full of artists working with nylon.

Are there any technical "tricks" you have learned along the way?
Every year I add a couple techniques to my bag of tricks. Here's a basic trick --
to make a seam less visible, hide it in an arm pit.

What inspires you? Are there specific images, artists, locations, or materials
that flavor your work?
When I got injured in March of last year, I found myself stuck in bed for a very long time.
I read books and took DVD courses on Northern Renaissance Art. It is my current obsession. Generally, though, I think the people I meet are the most inspiring. I like sculpting human personalities.

What led you to create your current style of work? How has your art, style,
or technique changed over the years?
When I first started, my style was influenced by animation, and was somewhat
cartoon like. As I tried for more honesty and sophistication, the work got more realistic. The goal has never been photo realism, however. I just want to capture human personality as best I can.

What is the most surprising thing you have learned as a doll artist, and what advice can you pass along to aspiring doll artists?
The most surprising thing I have learned is that every human personality is due to an act of creativity. Probably the most creative thing the human mind does is generate it's sense of self. It took me years of sculpting people to figure that out. As for advice to new artists -- I'd say do what fascinates you most. If you love your art, most likely someone else will too.

Do you have any projects are you currently working on or have planned?
I'm currently illustrating a children's book titled "Flights of Fancy." (That is a rather large project, and will include work from artists in many parts of the world. Doll artists, fantasy sculptors, artists who make automata and installations are included.) Right now, there are several works in progress in my studio. There is a life-sized Ticket taker, a fantasy piece titled "Angel of Destruction," and a portrait of Elizabeth Brandon's grandfather, "Orie."

Do you teach? If so, where can students find you?
I haven't taught for quite a while, but am considering teaching again later this year. If anyone is interested in a class, they can e-mail me or write a letter to the contact information below.

Where can people find your work?
My work can be seen and purchased through CFM Gallery, 236 West 27th Street, Suite 4F West, New York, NY 10001. For information on current and upcoming shows, please contact CFM Gallery, the phone number is 212-966-3864

Mail: P.O. Box 90537, Springfield, MA 01139-0537 | Email: lisalichtenfels@comcast.net
Website: www.lisalichtenfels.net  | Artist Rep: Neil Zuckerman, CFM Gallery www.cfmgallery.com