Dolls Cover Feature Feb 2012

www.dollsmagazine.com
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A
J
Purpose-Filled
ourney
By Carie Ferg
Bo Bergemann’s dollmaking transformed
from therapy into career
H
awaiian doll artist Karin Bergemann, otherwise known as“Bo,” knows
about hardship and pain. Her childhood was not ideal; “I grew up
sad, lonely, and hurting,” she said. But Bergemann turned adversity
into opportunity despite her circumstances. “I learned how to love, to celebrate life, to share freely, and to nurture others in need.” So much so that
Bergemann spent 15 years of her life raising foster children.
This experience of taking in medically fragile babies and nurturing them back to health until they could be permanently
placed in homes was simultaneously rewarding and heartbreaking for Bergemann. To come to terms with the departure of her
first foster child, Chelsea, Bergemann sculpted a baby in her
image to hold. From that point on, Bergemann made a doll in every departing foster
child’s likeness.
Bo Bergman s Addie in
Pink is a limited-edition
7-inch ball-jointed doll(BJD)
wearing a vintage-style
ensemble by Charie Wilson.
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February 2012 • DOLLS
“Dollmaking began as my expression of pain so deep it could
not be kept in, yet so overwhelming I could not express it,” Bergemann said.“It grew to help me cope
through the mourning process. Finally, it became my place of creativity, growth, healing, and a challenging adventure all on its own.”
Eventually, Bergemann’s dedication to helping others through
foster care took a toll on her health
and became unsustainable. So she
turned to dolls.“Dollmaking helped
me mourn the loss of the entire
lifestyle,” she said.“I had lived such
a meaning-filled, purpose-driven
life for 15 years and simply did not
know how to cope with not living
that life anymore.”
A perfectionist, Bergemann poured herself into her
new dollmaking career. “My beloved healing hobby became my professional passion,” she said. “I never expected
it to mean as much to me, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much I thrive as a dollmaker.”
An artist at heart, Begemann is often inspired by romantic ideas. She named her 2012 line Romantic Notions
& Serendipity. “I often begin my next doll journey with either a simple romantic notion or some age-old wisdom
that intrigues me … like a little girl’s tea party or bedtime
story,” she said, adding that she has a “depth of emotion or
longing for all things bright or beautiful.
“The biggest challenge for me is the limits that this
world and reality place on my imagination. I want to make
fairies that actually fly, to make sisters who actually can
jump on the bed and giggle! The things I imagine must
meet up with my mind and realistic limitations at some
point,” she said. When Bergemann’s mind and heart converge to invent artistic solutions, the result is, “a happy accident when something unexpected ends up being exactly
what you hoped for, which is often what my best dolls are!”
Relationships are another key inspiration for her art,
Bergemann said. “Everything and everyone inspires me. I
love my family, and making dolls allows me to put family
first. I love my collectors. Frankly, it amazes me still how
someone can fall in love with something I’ve created and
then make room for me in their heart, too, which happens
so often!”
Bergemann, who’s tried everything when it comes to
art media — from photography to stained glass to painting, pottery, and more — is applying her skills to her Living
Art line, which she feels will allow her to perform at another level. The one-of-a-kind (OOAK) resin ball-jointed
doll (BJD) line will enable Bergemann to realize her desire
to become a mixed-media figurative artist.“I can make real
statements from the depths of my heart and soul through
this line, which are not possible through creating dolls
alone,” Bergemann said.
Above Left: Bergemann s New Living
Art line features OOAK dolls as art
pieces. The theme of Sisters in Bloom
is blooming where you re planted.
The sisters stand 16 inches, 10
inches, and 7 inches.
Above Right: Mistletoe Ambriel, a 16-inch BJD, is part of
Bergemann s Elegant Ambriel
series. I love how her face
turned out! the artist said. This
photo shows off the fairy tale
style tail I put on the coat hood,
too! Yet each of the one-offs or
limited editions in this series is so
different from the others, since I
do them in different themes and
complete the rest of the outfit
so uniquely. This one is a 50sstyle Christmas theme which is
why I went a bit starlit with the
face-up!
Right: Crimson & Velvet
Ambriel is a limited-edition
doll in Bergemann s
Elegant Ambriel series
that was inspired by
Red Riding Hood.
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Below: Valentine Ambriel is a OOAK 16-inch BJD in the Elegant
Ambriel series. In this coat I designed, she s ready for her Valentine s
ballet debut, Bergemann said.
Below Right: I adore my newest [7-inch] BJD sculpt Addie and
[10-inch] BJD sculpt Maddie because these two are the first dolls I
sculpted to be sisters by giving them similar features, Bergemann
said. They have large eyes and sweet scooped noses! I think they are
pinch-your-cheeks cute!
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February 2012 • DOLLS
The first piece in the line she’s working on is “Sisters in
Bloom!”The BJD trio is “full of life, youth and beauty”she said.
Bergemann, who is toying with juxtaposing the sisters against
a darker graffiti-covered background, is striving to play off the
old adage “bloom where you’re planted.” “It is a statement
about being able to find beauty anywhere,” Bergemann explained — which is not unlike her own personal story.
Bergemann’s current favorite doll is “Ambriel,” from her
Elegant Ambriel series. Although Bergemann was reluctant
to venture into the adult doll realm, she doesn’t regret doing
so, saying she enjoys making one-offs and limited editions of
Ambriel. “Frankly, I was wary of doing an adult, but my collectors kept asking for one, so I took the leap of faith. Now
that I have one, I know I’ll do more because I love to costume
and paint them,” Bergemann said. “An adult doll can wear
makeup. The little girl in me is thrilled!”
And Bergmann’s collectors are thrilled, too, with the
lovely, joyful dolls Bergemann is gracing the doll scene with.
“Dollmaking is part of my life’s journey,” Bergemann said,
who credits every step of the way to her faith in God.“When
I get stuck, lose motivation or inspiration, or struggle in any
way, I pray and a miracle happens.