Weird Contessa Studio Creations™

#MerylStreep and bigots

Meryl Streep made herself another Hollywood gossip gusher who attacked Walt Disney with disparaging remarks about antisemitism and sexism. This happened at a National Board of Review dinner in which Emma Thompson was honoured (Saving Mr Banks), and it has caused a great deal of stir and backlash since being published in Variety.
The facts are, such ignorant and insideous remarks are uninformed garbage gossip that needs reply.
Maybe a celebrity of Ms Streep's caliber doesn't have to worry much about prejudice and bias preventing her from following her career in this day and age, but back in the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s there were plenty of women having doors shut in their face to keep them from joining in a communal work force, not to mention the blatant racism that ran unchecked. And yet, the historicity of the company that Walt Disney created, and the core values he lived and worked by, should highlight the truthfulness of the man's character. Adding to this are the substantiated voices of those who actually worked with Walt Disney, and who knew him personally, and have gone on record time and time again to refute the old rumour mills of agenda.
In fact, it is these very same voices of 'old-timers' who actually knew Walt that have always given gratitude for the surprising opportunities that their forward thinking boss ushered into his workforce. This array of talented artists and creatives and bright thinkers premiered the entry of women as designers, painters and animators and imagineers, and the inclusion of employees of all backgrounds and race.
So why do myths and accusations still raise their ugly head? It simply is due to wilful ignorance, as in this modern age there certainly are more ways of finding the truth than ever before.
So, as to Meryl Streep, and any and all lazy thinkers, why don't you come clean and stop being one of the hyprocritical bigots you yourself are trying to point a finger at?
~ Gina

~A Christmas Wish from my home to yours~

***A timely reminder for those with faith:
God didn't put us in a world bereft of Heaven. He created a world made of Heaven. Each child's face is Heaven's face. Each child's tender hand is Heaven's touch.
The splendour of an ALL Good and... All Loving Presence is found around us in such as this - in Nature's glory, in a perfect raindrop, in puppy breath, and in our child's embrace. Yes, for those who recognize good and right, if we dare to look, we see God's Heavenly perfect blessings in an imperfect world.
This earthly, temporal life is a life of choice.
We are not created robots programmed to love, nor is God a cosmic puppeteer in which we are forced to love. Because, to be able to love, one must choose freely to love...or it is not love, it is force, it is rape.
That is why choice makes us free. That is why choice makes this world imperfect.
There are those who refuse the Heavenly and choose not to Love others ... and yet, we are still not deprived of hope. Because the Heavenly still remains firm and true. As it is written: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Yes, even in the depths of man-made hell, we see these Heavenly choices. These choices of Love overcoming such darkness. We see the choices of heroes who gave their lives in saving others. We see the love of parent and precious child. We see the outpouring of love of community and of nation. We see the love of that which we know to be good and right gives us meaning. We see Heaven's Righteousness alight even in the darkest hour. Faith, Hope, and Love.
We are created for such things as these.
We are created for Heaven.

It is my wish for my loved ones all ~ that each of you may see the Joy and Blessings from Heaven in this Christmas Season and discover that everlasting gift of Love incarnate once born in Bethlehem's stable.

Merry Christmas!
~ Gina

(Photo credit: This is a photo I took some years ago of my youngest daughter with our late, beloved doxie, Leo Manny, posing as the Good Shepherd watching over the flock!)

One of my new Christmas pieces, "Noel"!
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Merry Marionette Minis™ are original characters of Jesters, Lords, Ladies, Knaves and Knights of Fairy Tale whimsy.
Inspired by the Old World Punch-n-Judy, each character captures the essence of marionette theatre and is created in jewel tones with an antique finish.
These articulated minis can hang from a collectible stand, as an ornament, upon a beaded necklace or worn as a blouse adornment or unique tie pin.
~ Weird Contessa Studio Creations™ are one-of-a-kind original designs by
Gina LF Draker,
a professional prototype sculptor in the Toy and Collectible Industry since 1988.

Noel the Royal Jester™ is Copyright 2013 GLF. Draker
Merry Marionette Minis™ is a Trademarked Property of Weird Contessa Studio Creations™
(All Rights Reserved)

WALT DISNEY, AMERICAN ICON

To mark the 4th of July Holiday this week, I was thinking of a very iconic All-american inspiration - Walter Elias Disney.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that Walt Disney holds that kind of inspiration for my work as a creative, and a special place in my childhood and to my children's childhood.

His special kind of inspiration doesn't only affect artists the world over, but children the world over - for they are the truest dreamers of dreams.

I hope that many this summer will get to visit The Walt Disney Family Museum In San Francisco and the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline, Missouri. These are fine organizations that should be enjoyed and throughly supported in every way possible.

One of the banners I created is for associates at the facebook page, Friends of the Walt Disney Family Museum, and I hope that you will consider joining in the discussions there, as well!

Some time ago, I was in a conversation about Walt and wanted to make my point loud and clear that he is as relevant today as he was in his own time. I'd like to share that here, along with images from many projects of mine - from Logos to sketches and Banners of 'Uncle Walt'. As you may already know, Walt's visionary genius inspires generation after generation.

The old-timers are not the only ones who recognize the inspiration of Walter Elias Disney, but every single tried and true-blue Disneyphile actually wants more Walt.

There is not only a nostalgia for this kind of hopeful Americana idealism, but a great need to feel that same sense of direction and ethics which centered country and family in Walt's day.
That's the brand Walt established - the ones you find from remembered pages of a child's morality tale of faith, courage and strength, hope and perseverance; it is in the heroics of praise-worthy deeds of history, and in the discovery of the fantastical that charges creativity with determinism and fortitude.

You see, to Walt, that hope could take form and the possible world is what we make of it. This is the type of idealism that could only lie in the heart and mind of a true Visionary who changed modern culture as we know it.

Now, Disneyland lovers, as well as history buffs, film geeks, animation students, and Art professionals, all value this extraordinary legacy. But so do parents and grandparents, and so do kids. They recognize it in the master leadership and master showmanship of so many skilled, talented, and gifted individuals who brought this gossamer stuff of dreaming into concrete experience.

Yet, it is not only the art medium that bore his name, but this thing called an idea that firmly took shape and still has its presence among us.

Walt was a creative, artistic, imaginative genius, an idea man, a doer - and he knew good business. Walt knew the business of giving people what they want, what they dream about, making it have dimension and depth. That was this American paradigm on which Walt Disney built his dynasty.

And not only did it serve Walt's generation - but it is virtually impossible to NOT find his indelible brand of imagination on childhood since.

So, I ask you: is Walt Disney sufficient for the masses?

The answer is a resounding yes!

Few individuals in the whole of history can reach so many with such untempered joy, as did Walt Disney. God bless him!

HAPPY DREAMING! THANKS, WALT!

ALL ART IMAGES BY THE ARTIST / COPYRIGHT
© GINA L.F. DRAKER. 2009-2013
(NOT TO BE REPRODUCED OR DUPLICATED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION)

MR Moon™

HOW I DESIGNED THE PROJECT:

(1) Here is a peak of the way I began MR MOON™ - first by laying out the rough shape. Then I sketched out a very rough idea of the face on the surface of the clay.

(2) The second stage was to cover the disc of baked clay with soft clay and shape the features into being. Soon the character of old Mr Moon began to take shape!

(3) Here is the Moon face as it was after baking. It is now ready to be detailed and sanded.

4) Here is the back of Mr Moon™ - with his craters and all!

HANGING THE CHRISTMAS MOON™

~ is a custom sculpted piece, having been made for a special Christmas gift.

As no two One-Of-A-Kind pieces are ever exactly the same, being hand-sculpted and each delicately painted by hand, this piece is unique in its overall design and construction.

However, I will be starting on other "MR MOON" designs featuring Holiday themes and Fairy Tales! And more to come on the making of Santa on a future post! Watch for more quite soon!

Walt Disney mock up in clay:

This was a piece I did yrs ago, sculpted in one night, for a meeting at Disney Animation in Burbank. It was done as a rough mock up - like carved wood - on purpose. I have been lately thinking of making a mold and taking the piece further from there. This was actually sculpted before Blaine Gibson did the Partners statue for Disneyland/the Disney Parks. And if it wasn't known before, it must be said that Walter Elias Disney was not just a visionary genius, but he is my true mentor and life-long artistic inspiration for becoming a professional artist.

Victorian Hurdy-Gurdy Circus Monkey

*Haven't named him yet ~ any ideas?

My newest piece is this wee lad who is fully articulated as any good monkey should be. Inspired by the Victorian Hurdy Gurdy Organ Grinder's Monkey, he is smart enough to perform in any circus or Music Hall act and loves to be the center of attention! He is part of Weird Contessa's 'Wearable Collectible™' collection and can be worn with the beaded necklace or as a whimsical brooch with secured pin on back. He may also be kept as a free standing figurine under display. Remember, Monkey loves applause!

Monkey in the first stages of paint!

Here is Monkey in the Rough clay prepared for detail work!