Lorraine McElroy com-
pleted her BA & MA at the State University of NY at Stony Brook in the 1970’s. She taught art in public schools in NY and MA for almost 20 years. Although a long established sculptor, by a lucky turn of events she apprenticed under doll maker Jane Fuller in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England from 1986-1988.
It was during this time that Lorraine discovered her preferred media of choice, porcelain and cloth. In 1989 she returned home to New England and established "Little People Dolls" in Westford, Mass. One of her dolls was selected by Yankee Magazine as one of the10 best Santa dolls in theregion In 2006 Lorraine and Little People relocated to the NC shore.
Lorraine McElroy
"Little People Dolls are doll/sculptures made of porcelain and cloth. These future family heirlooms are not machine made or mass produced, they are made from beginning to end by the sculptor. Lorraine creates the characters’ heads, hands and feet as original clay sculptures, which are used to create plaster molds with the original clay sculptures destroyed in the process. Porcelain slip is poured into the molds, dried, finished and fired at 2,400 degrees; the forms are then painted with China glaze and re-fired. Finally each body part is ready for assembly to a cloth torso and twisted wire armature.
The stitching holding the soft forms together is meant to be seen; Each sculpture can stand on its own without support. The woolen, lined, doll costumes are removable and each doll head is engraved with a number, date and signature."
