My Paper Dolls for the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con Art Show

I am back for my fifth year at the San Diego International Comic-Con Art Show. The 2017 San Diego International Comic-Con (SDCC) officially starts on Thursday, July 20th and art show set-up is this Wednesday, July 19th. However, this art show will be the first year it will not be located upstairs at the Sails Pavilion in the San Diego Convention Center. 

This year (and maybe from now on) the art show will be located at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in Grand Halls C&D on the first floor. I do have mixed feelings about this last minute change of location. I really did love having the art show in the actual Convention Center because obviously it felt more connected to the actual SDCC event rather than at a nearby off-site hotel. One positive is that the art show will be open to the general public but nonetheless the atmosphere will be different. All in all, I remain positive about my whole experience of being a part of such a fun event and I am, as every year, excited about showcasing my paper dolls for the art show and all its attendees!

For this year's Art Show I will be displaying 12 paper dolls which again are mostly fan-based paper dolls relevant to Comic-Con's celebration of comics, fantasy, and other pop-culture art forms. I originally made 13 paper dolls even though I knew I could only fit 12 on my display panel. So the one paper doll "Zendaya in Dolce & Gabbana" that didn't make the art show cut will be available in my Etsy shop. 

Below are my final 12 paper dolls and their inspirations behind their creations for the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con Art Show. Enjoy!

MERMAID PAPER DOLLS

Mermaid Paper Doll #128 - Margaery Tyrell

My "Margaery Tyrell" Mermaid Paper Doll is based on the HBO television series "Game of Thrones" character of the same name and portrayed by actress Natalie Dormer. My mermaid version of Margaery is based on her wardrobe worn during the Season 6 season finale episode "Winds of Winter" where she met her untimely death. Mermaid Margaery wears her stag crown and a demure silver metallic embroidered gown.

Mermaid Paper Doll #129 - Lupita in Gucci

Lupita Nyong'o is such a beauty! She is a favorite of mine in both red carpet fashion and as a muse for my mermaid paper dolls. My latest Lupita Mermaid Doll will be my fourth shown at the SDCC Art Show. "Lupita in Gucci" is based on her gorgeous green gown worn at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Her long voluminous gown featured an embellished floral detail of embroidered crystals and hand painted pink and blush silk flowers. And I absolutely loved her pop of purple lipstick!

Mermaid Paper Doll #130 - Betty Cooper

My Mermaid Paper Doll #129 is inspired by the character Betty Cooper (portrayed by actress Lili Reinhart) from the CW teen drama show "Riverdale" (my latest guilty-pleasure television show). "Riverdale" is based on the characters by Archie Comics. Mermaid Betty is wearing her 1950s retro best with her coiffed blonde hair and her soft pink and floral girl-next-door scaled attire.

Mermaid Paper Doll #131 - Veronica Lodge

Mermaid Paper Doll #130 takes inspiration from another "Riverdale" character Veronica Lodge portrayed by actress Camila Mendes. My Mermaid Veronica has a darker, jewel-toned palette and wears the signature pearl necklace (of Archie Comics' Veronica) but in a more grandiose mermaid-style. I also wanted to give Mermaid Veronica a sexier, more 1970s vixen vibe in comparison to Mermaid Betty's 1950s girl-next-door look. 

Mermaid Paper Doll #132 - Solange in Derek Lam

I am a huge fan of Solange Knowles fashion style! Mermaid Paper Doll #131 is inspired by Solange Knowles' Derek Lam Guipure lace dress that she wore at the 2012 Glamour Women of the Year Awards in New York City. I love the bold and bright contrasting patterns of her dress and thought how awesome it would look on a mermaid's gown of scales!

Mermaid Paper Doll #133 - Lady Hideko

Mermaid Paper Doll #132 was inspired by the character Lady Hideko (portrayed by actress Kim Min-Hee) of Park Chan-Wook's intriguing movie "The Handmaiden". Moreover, the film's costumes designed by Sang-gyeong Jo are equally compelling and absolutely gorgeous! The movie is a definite must-see! For my Lady Hideko mermaid I wanted her to embody the demure and luxurious look of Lady Hideko and took inspiration from her dark blue dress with black lace complete with her petal pink colored lips and loose strands of hair from her intricately braided bun.

Mermaid Paper Doll #134 - Yellow Diamond

These next two mermaid paper dolls are based on characters from the animated television series "Steven Universe" by Rebecca Sugar. Known as members of the Great Diamond Authority, Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond are rulers of the Homeworld Gems and were featured prominently during the most recent "Steven Universe" episodes.

My Yellow Diamond Mermaid is inspired by the character's signature look with short bob and spiked tipped hair style, yellow eyes, short yellow tailcoat-like attire with enormous shoulder pads. The character Yellow Diamond also has a cutout for her diamond gemstone in the middle of her chest. My Mermaid Yellow Diamond has one as well but it is a bit hidden behind the pointy array of yellow sea flowers.

Mermaid Paper Doll #136 - Blue Diamond

Mermaid Paper Doll #134 is inspired by the character Blue Diamond from "Steven Universe". The character Blue Diamond has a sky blue complexion; long, oval face; long, straight alice blue hair that curls inwards at the ends; and slanted, soulful-looking eyes and makeup. She wears a long dark blue cloak and her blue diamond gemstone is located on her chest above the sternum. She appears regal yet surrounded by melancholy.

MENAGERIE PAPER DOLLS

Menagerie Paper Doll - Brienne of Tarth Mermaid

My Menagerie Paper Dolls are composed of an array of miscellaneous rubber stamps. My Brienne of Tarth Mermaid Paper Doll is based on the character from "Game of Thrones". I love Brienne's character and she is brilliantly played on the television show by actress Gwendoline Christie. I had  a rubber stamp made of her face by the Etsy shop Stamplifier. 

Mermaid Brienne wears blue armor which is the color of her House Tarth. The armor was a gift given to her by her unrequited love Ser Jaime Lannister (see below). She also carries with her her sword known as Oathkeeper which was also given to her by Jaime.

Menagerie Paper Doll - Jaime Lannister Merman

My Jaime Lannister Merman Paper Doll is based on the character Ser Jaime Lannister from "Game of Thrones". On the television show Jaime is wonderfully played by actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. My Jaime Merman wears gold-scaled armor as well as his golden hand. The "Game of Thrones" character Jaime loses his right hand and wears his new gold appendage to cover his missing hand. Merman Jaime also carries the sword known as Widow's Wail plus a beautiful bouquet of sea flora for his Mermaid of Tarth (wink wink!). 

Unrequited no more, my favorite soulmates on "Game of Thrones"

Menagerie Paper Doll - Frida Kahlo The Wounded Deer

My Frida Kahlo the Wounded Deer Paper Doll takes inspiration from Kahlo's 1946 painting "The Wounded Deer". 

Menagerie Paper Doll - Frida Kahlo Me & My Parrots

My Frida Kahlo Mermaid Paper Doll takes inspiration from Kahlo's 1941 self-portrait painting "Me and My Parrots" which include her pet parrots. 

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek at my paper dolls for the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con Art Show!  All my paper dolls will be up for auction and/or quick sale during the Comic-Con and any unsold items will be added to my Etsy shop Rock Paper Tekla. 

And if you could stand the crazy crowds down near the Convention Center, definitely stop by the Comic-Con Art Show and come see my paper dolls! I guarantee you they look gorgeous in person!

Cheers!

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My Paper Dolls for the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con Art Show

Yes, I am back for my third year at the San Diego International Comic-Con Art Show! I started working on my latest paper dolls about a month ago and thankfully finished the last one just a few days ago. Art set-up is on Wednesday, July 8th, 2015 upstairs at the San Diego Convention Center Sails Pavilion. 

For this year's art show I really wanted to create mostly fan-based paper dolls relevant to Comic-Con's celebration of comics and other pop-culture art forms  I originally made 12 paper dolls specifically for the Art Show and at the last minute decided to nix one of my mermaids that just wasn't cutting it for me. Instead, I will be showcasing my Mermaid Paper Doll #111 "Lupita in Calvin Klein" which I made several months ago for my Etsy shop. She's one of my favorite mermaids that I've created and thought she'd be perfect for the art show especially since I featured another version of Lupita last year.

In addition, instead of showcasing a heavy dose of mermaid paper dolls like the last two years, I decided to make a variety of other paper dolls. This art show is the first time I will be featuring my fairy paper dolls which are all inspired by Disney's Tinkerbell and some of her fairy friends.

Below are my final 12 paper dolls and their inspirations behind their creations for the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con Art Show. Enjoy!

FAIRY PAPER DOLLS

Fairy Paper Doll #17 - Haute Couture Tinkerbell

"Haute Couture Tinkerbell" was highly inspired by Peter Pan's feisty, little fairy friend, Tinkerbell. I wanted to preserve as much of Tinkerbell's iconic look when translating it into my Tinkerbell paper doll. Of course, my Tink comes a bit more fashionably embellished with nature's finest threads!  

Fairy Paper Doll #18 - Haute Couture Iridessa

"Haute Couture Iridessa" fairy paper doll is my vision of Tinkerbell's friend, Iridessa. Iridessa is quick-witted and one of the brightest fairies in Pixie Hollow. She also loves sunflowers. I wanted to make Iridessa a dress to match her glowing personality by creating this look of layers upon layers of sunny, yellow flowers.

Fairy Paper Doll #19 - Haute Couture Silvermist

"Haute Couture Silvermist" fairy paper doll is a re-envisioned look of another friend of Tinkerbell named Silvermist. Silvermist is described as an off-beat, free-spirited water fairy and her favorite flower is the water lily. I envisioned Silvermist as the beautiful muse to Claude Monet's waterlily paintings. Serene, beautiful, and "cool in blue"!

Also, Silvermist was requested to be made by my 6-year old 'Tinkerbell and Friends' fangirl niece, Isa. She gave me her thumbs-up approval when I showed her the final look of my Silvermist paper doll. Thanks, Isa!!!

Fairy Paper Doll #20 - Haute Couture Rosetta

"Haute Couture Rosetta" is inspired by Tinkerbell's fairy friend, Rosetta. Rosetta is a well-mannered yet sassy garden fairy who wears a rose-petal dress. She embodies the fairy version of a southern belle. I wanted my Rosetta fairy paper doll to appear as a vintage fairy made of soft, delicate roses and one would only find her flying in and out of an old, secret cottage garden somewhere in the deep south.

MERMAID PAPER DOLLS

Mermaid Paper Doll #118 - Ode to Daenerys

"An Ode to Daenerys" Mermaid Paper Doll is based on the character Daenerys Targaryen from the HBO television series "Game of Thrones" and portrayed by actress Emilia Clarke. Daenerys is also known as Daenerys Stormborn or more importantly as the Mother of Dragons. She is also one of the last confirmed members from House Targaryen. She has very typical Targaryen features with her silver-blonde hair and purple eyes.

My mermaid version of Daenerys is based on a gown she wore during the Season 4 finale "The Children". It was one of her more interesting costumes worn and thought it could be beautifully translated into a mermaid-appropriate underwater fashion. And, personally, the end result was quite near perfection! Love it!

Mermaid Paper Doll #119 - Ode to Missandei

My "Ode to Missandei" mermaid paper doll is based on another "Game of Thrones" character. Missandei is a Naathi scribe who speaks many languages. She is described as having eyes like molten gold and is played by actress Nathalie Emmanuel on the television series. Strong-willed and intelligent she is Daenerys Targaryen's handmaiden and trusted advisor - pretty much they are like gal pals! 

My Missandei mermaid's look is inspired by a costume of gorgeous blue worn by Nathalie during one of Season 5's episodes. I wanted to keep Missandei's look simple yet beautiful just like on the show and perfectly contrasts yet complements Daenerys' more elaborate costumes.

Mermaid Paper Doll #111 - Lupita in Calvin Klein

After seeing actress Lupita Nyong'o wearing her gorgeous custom pearl gown at the 2015 Academy Awards, I knew I had to create a mermaid paper doll version. Even Lupita herself said she wanted this pearl dress to be "an homage to the sea"! Mermaid Paper Doll #111 is the second Lupita-inspired mermaid paper doll to be shown at the San Diego Comic-Con Art Show.

BEBE PAPER DOLLS

Bebe Paper Doll #31 - Hello Kitty Ballerina

"Hello Kitty Ballerina" is my second Hello Kitty-inspired Bebe Paper Doll made for the Comic-Con Art Show. This latest one wears a ballerina gown made completely of Hello Kitty bows. I can only imagine this ballerina finishing her Hello Kitty-themed performance in front of a sold out crowd of hard-core Hello Kitty fans! In the end, she is given a bouquet made of red bows and a Hello Kitty balloon! Bravo!!!

Bebe Paper Doll #32 - Princess Peach

My kids are big Super Mario fans and I wanted to make a paper doll of a Super Mario character in honor of them! So what better character to pick than the one and only Princess Peach! My "Princess Peach" Bebe Paper Doll was an absolute fun to make and I think paper dolls Mario and Luigi would totally rescue her from the clutches of paper doll Bowser! And my kids think this paper doll is the best of the lot…bonus points!!!

Bebe Paper Doll #33 - Kiki's Delivery Service

"Kiki's Delivery Service" Bebe Paper Doll is based on Hayao Miyazaki's 1989 Japanese animated film fantasy about a 13-year old witch named Kiki discovering her place in the world. It's a gorgeous animation as is all Miyazaki's films. This Bebe Paper Doll is my second Miyazaki character made for the Comic-Con Art Show (last year I made Sophie from "Howl's Moving Castle").

I loved making this Bebe version of Kiki! I really wanted to capture every detail about her down to the little cat embroidery (representing her cat Jiji) on the corner of her dress. Of course, the one accessory that had to be near perfection was Kiki's big red bow on her head! 

Bebe Paper Doll #34 - Daredevil's Karen Page

"Daredevil's Karen Page" Bebe Paper Doll is based on the character Karen Page from the Netflix series "Daredevil". "Daredevil" is one of my favorite new shows and I really wanted to create a paper doll inspired by one of its character to represent my fangirl love for that show! I decided on making Nelson and Murdock's Law Firm secretary, Karen Page, played by actress Deborah Ann Woll. 

I originally wanted to make a paper doll based on "Daredevil" nurse Claire Temple (played by the gorgeous Rosario Dawson) but since Karen had a more distinctive wardrobe selection I opted to do her instead. Maybe next year, Claire!

My "Karen" Bebe Paper Doll wore a dress (a Paul Smith Black Label Tweed Paneled Dress) inspired by her 'Rabbit in a Snow Storm' episode. I loved the challenge of trying to capture the tweed look of her dress and all the subtle details of her accessories (e.g. bracelets and her very own exclusive Daredevil 'DD' designer black bag!).

MISCELLANEOUS PAPER DOLL

16th Century Flemish Catwoman

"16th century Flemish Catwoman" paper doll is the first of its kind! She is inspired by French Photographer Sacha Goldberger's Super Flemish Superhero Portraits. I fell in love with his Super Flemish portraits the moment I first saw them and they are worth checking out here! My "Flemish Catwoman" is out on the prowl and has her claws set on a rare bird and its birdcage!

I hope you enjoyed my final 12 paper dolls for the Comic-Con Art Show! I still have to get them all framed (I already selected their individual backdrops as seen in each photograph) and labelled but that shouldn't take too long to do! Also, if you were lucky enough to get Con badges this year, come stop by the Art Show located upstairs in the Sails Pavilion and check out my paper ladies! In addition, all my paper dolls will be up for auction during the entire Comic-Con run and any paper dolls not sold will be added to my Etsy shop Rock Paper Tekla. 

I look forward to sharing pictures of my art exhibit as well as my time at the 2015 San Diego International Comic-Con in San Diego in a later blog post. And thanks for stopping by!