Folk Art Doll Joints

I traditionally take the month of January and explore new directions for my artwork. It can be something that feels big and very different or some small design detail. It's mostly about indulging my creative self with something off my typical beaten path, or that looks intriguing.

The first thing I wanted to explore is the old joints I've seen on folk art doll legs and arms. Mostly a tradition done in wood, but I thought it might be cool to try it in metal.

My first attempt is below (so far). It's rather labor intensive with each different plane within the joint being a separate piece of cut copper braised in place. Yet I'm still wanting to try more variations.

I'll definitely need to leave more space in the central joint area than I did this time. The lower leg moves now, but doesn't have the full range of movement that I want. This piece will eventually have long vines with leaves that come out of the arms. Long enough so that they drop down below the figure's feet by quite a bit. I'm wanting to use etched brass and maybe some decal transfers on some of the leaves. More experimentation!