April Norton – Aprilart

From Hair Stylist to Doll Artist 

by Pam North

“I had a penchant for doll-making from a very early age,” April Norton recalls, “starting with cut-out cardboard dolls, then three-dimensional sock dolls. When I was about 7 or 8  years old, I made a cowgirl from a sock. She had tinfoil hoop earrings, a gold satin outfit with fringed skirt and vest, a cardboard brimmed hat, and black nylons! This was before I received my first Barbie (or rather a clone named Mitzi).” 
After high school, Norton pursued a career in hairstyling, working in salons until her children came along. “I always was creating something – macramé, wreaths, ceramics. Being an ‘at home’ mom, I  looked for ways to earn some income. Lucky for me, people bought my products!”
“In 1995, I discovered sculpting with polymer clay, and I started to make my own character sculpts, exhibiting at various doll shows in Southern Ontario. I still loved pretty dolls, big and small, that could be redressed. While attending a doll show I saw some porcelain fairies and asked the exhibitor, a porcelain artist and instructor, if she would make one for me. She said no, but I could come and make my own, so I went to her class to make one fairy, and ended up making ten!  I loved porcelain as a medium; its soft and smooth texture isn’t coarse like ceramics, and the china paints blended nicely. I began making porcelain dolls to sell at doll shows around 1993, with a friend making my doll clothes. To save money initially, I started painting the eyes on my dolls, but I seemed to have a knack in painting great-looking eyes, and now I constantly strive to create depth and personality in all my dolls through the eyes, always learning new ideas and techniques. In my face ups and porcelains, the eyes are all hand-painted. I also tried my hand at vinyl face ups this year. It amazes me the differences between china-painting porcelain and acrylic-painting vinyl. I‘ve also learned to sew my own doll clothes, which amazes me considering I couldn't figure my way through a pattern at first! Now I realize all the creative mediums I have dabbled in, including hairstyling, have enabled me to become the artist I am today.”
“Lately I have been phasing out making large porcelain dolls, as I do most of my selling online, and shipping the big ones can be challenging and expensive. Instead, I am concentrating on full porcelain dolls, 16” and smaller, all from molds of Dianna Effner sculpts. My work mainly consists of 13” little darlings that quickly sell worldwide on eBay and Facebook. Social media has help me hone my skills, by studying other dolls and seeing what people want. I like to exercise my imagination and create dolls out of the norm, like my memorial doll, Homage to David Bowie, that came straight from my heart, as he has been my favorite entertainer since my teens. Occasionally, I do custom lookalikes, filling requests for a likeness of a child or grandchild.”
Norton also has been the coordinator of the London doll and teddy bear show for a total of about 12 years.

Contact Information:
Email:  april.norton@rogers.com  
Website: www.aprilartdolls.com