Beverly  Stoehr

Influenced by the World

by Pam North

Army brats can be envied - they see the world. Beverly Stoehr had just such a life, living in many places, but now she contentedly lives in Elma NY, and it is there that she brings her marvelous creations to life.       
Her travels undoubtedly have influenced her work, and she shared an early memory. “I truly feel that my love and passion for dolls have been with me since I was a young girl. It began with our family’s first Christmas in Germany. We had just arrived on Christmas Eve, and it was like a traditional holiday card with the fresh snow and the first view of our little hotel. I was about 6, and my main concern was whether Santa would find us; when I woke up the next morning I was delighted to discover that he had! He had brought me a little celluloid doll with her own beautiful wooden furniture, and that was the beginning of my love of dolls. When we returned to the United States to Miami, FL three years later, it again was Christmastime, and my aunt took me to FAO Schwartz. I had never seen anything like it, and I was enchanted with the wonderful Madame Alexander dolls. I wished so hard that I would get one as a present, but my dream didn’t come true. I just didn’t realize then that my family could not afford one.” Life has come full circle for Stoehr; later she was asked to design for the Madame Alexander Doll Company, creating many of the baby dolls that still are in their line.
Now Stoehr can collect the dolls she likes, and often she has made them herself. She has designed for other major doll companies, such as Effanbee, Marie Osmond, Disney, Danbury Mint, The Doll Maker, Paradise Galleries, and Bonnie & Pearl in England.
“My sculpting began in Oregon with classes in the late 1980s taught by Theo Menzbach, a master sculptor from the Hummel factory in Germany. It was my first art class ever, having never taken any in school. My first sculpt won a DOTY award for Play Doll of the Year, and since then I have received over 70 awards and another 60 nominations for awards. 
Stoehr’s passion now is for creating ball-jointed dolls. “Each resin BJD comes to life when hand-painting the details of the face (the face up). My goal is to create a lifelike realism. The soul is in the eyes, and they must be created with love; after that, the rest will come. I also make all my mohair wigs. I have a wonderful team of designers who help me dress my OOAK and limited edition BJDs. My upcoming plans and goals are to expand my BJD line, along with a line of clothing for them, as they have been very successful.”
“I have learned that creating is a passion. I truly feel blessed that I have been able to realize my dreams, that I can. My goal now is to help and guide young artists, encouraging them to grow. They often need just that tiny bit to take them to the next step. She is planning online classes for sculpting.
Stoehr is a member of the United Federation of Doll Clubs, and has been chairperson of the Artists Showcase each of the past four years.

Contact Information:
Email: BDOLLS@aol.com  
Website:  www.beverlystoehroriginals.com