Meaningful Conversations

A crochet artist has created a RuPaul's Drag Race UK-inspired homage to the 1970s toilet roll doll.

Shauna Richardson, who is based in Norfolk, said the lockdown idea was fuelled by " concept and humour" two of her favourite elements in art.

She Said each of the 40-plus creations represented a " bright injection of colour and frivolity".

The Collection , created from wrestling dolls, was used to inject a festive pyramid of colour as an alternative Christmas tree at a Coffee Shop in Cromer, Norfolk.

" Living with ADHD can have its interesting moments, there are the frequent random idea blurts for a start, " She Said .

" This one landed during lockdown when out walking on The Beach with Bob The Dog . It made me laugh out loud. Thankfully, the only living thing within earshot was Bob! "

Richardson said The The Original Johns, as she calls them, were influenced by the Bbc Three show.

" is an explosion of creativity. Programmes like this create an atmosphere of acceptance, not only for this particular art form but for people in general, " She Said .

" For me [living with ADHD], there has been a subtle positive shift in The Way I feel about myself being a neurodivergent person in a neurotypical world. "

Richardson's typical work involves creating realistic life-size crochet animal sculptures.

" Although having crochet in common, this work is very different from the Johns, with each piece taking several months to complete and made using one solo colour, as natural a tone as possible, " She Said .

" The Johns are quickly created, two or three in A Day . They represent a bright injection of colour and frivolity. "

It is believed the trend for the loo roll doll started in the mid-20th Century but has roots in the half-dolls - a German porcelain doll's head and torsos which were made and popular during the 1900-1950s.

" They were designed for ladies crafting and had tie-holes in their bases. You made dresses which were lamp shades, tea cosies, pin-cushions etc. These are collectable and make £10 to £100 mainly, rare ones can make more, " said Daniel Agnew, an expert in dolls and toys at Special Auction Services in Newbury.

" Most UK homes had boxes of nasty waxy paper or cut sheets of newspaper until the 1960s. Hiding your spare toilet roll under a dolly must have been created in A Woman 's magazine, or crochet pattern book.

" They have no real commercial value. "

While the Johns might be a retro-nod to The Past , the crochet hook into The World of drag culture also taps into creating a feeling of wellbeing, the University of Northampton said.

" explored the impact on the mental wellbeing of people engaging with live drag events, " said senior lecturer Claire Leer.

" It demonstrated that people, not necessarily From Within the LGBTQ+ community, found drag a vehicle for them to begin to explore their own awareness and understanding of the community, through exploration they found a growing sense of safety and sense of fun, which had an overwhelmingly positive impact.

" I applaud this Coffee Shop for bringing about a positive way to raise awareness and spark positive education and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, with LGBTQ+ history month in February, it's a Good Time to start Meaningful Conversations and bring some colour and positivity to our horizons. "

Source of news: bbc.com