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B Y LISA VISCARDI

Shari Enge brings art and mystery to the craft of doll making.

Sara Jane has soul. An old Southern soul. You can see it in her mismatched button eyes, you can touch it in her flattened nail nose. You can even smell it in her taut muslin skin, which has the curious aroma of baked coffee. That sense of the Old South and a life lived long ago comes with the territory when you’re a creation of Los Angeles doll maker Shari Enge.

“My great-grandfather was born a slave and fought in the Civil War,” says Enge. “My father never liked to talk much about his childhood, so the South has always been a mystery to me. I like to think that sense of mystery and wonder, that longing to know the unknown about my family and the South, shows through in my dolls.”

“I like to think that sense of
mystery and wonder, that
longing to know the unknown
about my family and the South,
shows through in my dolls.”

As the artist behind an ever-expanding line of handcrafted dolls, Enge’s approach to doll making has a history as well: her own. “A lot of materials I use, and the process, are not that different from when I made dolls as a kid.” After tracing a simple shape onto muslin, Enge sews it, stuffs it with fiberfill, stains it with coffee, bakes it, and then needle-sculpts its face. Vintage materials — some

bought, some found — add to the distinctly Southern Gothic charm of her dolls. She uses lost keys, rusted wire, and even nails to adorn them. “The nails make incredible hair and noses. The older they are, the more worn they are, the better.”

Having been a doll lover and maker her whole life, Enge felt compelled to turn her passion into a business, starting the Old Soul Doll Company in 2005. But it wasn’t easy. “I didn’t know if the dolls, or if I, were good enough.” Early praise from friends and family had the ironic effect of making her more insecure. She feared they were telling her what they thought she wanted to hear. Enge got the truth at her younger daughter’s Cinco de Mayo school fair, where she set up a booth. “So many people that I didn’t know bought dolls from me that it gave me the confidence. I thought, ‘Yeah, they are good!’”

Now happily settled in a home studio built by her husband, Scott, Enge’s doll business is growing. Enge and her dolls were invited to be part of the Ten Women collective in Venice, Calif. She’s also been featured on Joan Quinn’s cable television show and is sparking the interest of galleries.

Yes, her business moves forward, but Enge never forgets to look back. “In a way, each time I make a doll, I make a trip back to my past. Sometimes way back, back before I was even born. The Old Soul Doll Company was born out of a need to connect to family.” ×

 

See more of Enge’s work at oldsouldollco.com.

Lisa Viscardi is a creative entrepreneur living in Santa Monica, Calif.