DeAnn Cote DRC Design Hand Carved Bass Wood 6.5" Hitty Doll 1999 Hittybel #7 HTF

Description

This little 6 1/2" Hitty was carved by DeAnn Cote of DRC Design in 1999. She is Hittybel #7, carved from bass wood and signed, dated, and numbered on the back by DeAnn. She also has my initials on the back due to a bit of restoration when I acquired her in 2013.
DeAnn Cote is an amazing artist and like many highly creative people works in many different mediums. She started her career in the jewelry manufacturing industry where she worked on detail designs on precious metals. She learned to use power tools with cutting and engraving burs as well as hand engraving tools. In the 1980s she started her own business and began cutting all varieties of rocks and precious stones like beach jade, emerald, ruby and opal. She went on to begin carving Fossil Ivory (like hippo and walrus tusks) and later hardwoods. At first she carved mostly animals. Then she began to explore carving tiny dolls (similar to early European peg wooden dolls) from Fossil Ivory. The range of her work is broad and it Is worth a trip to her website to see her development as an artist. I have seen (and kissed!) her phenomenal multi-jointed Fossil Ivory frog, "Blue" who is jointed at the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles. He is incredibly adorable and so posable.
At the carving workshop I took with DeAnn, I was fortunate to be able to acquire one of DeAnn's tiny 2" carved Fossil Ivory bears. He stayed in my pocket throughout the workshop and helped to calm my nerves. I rubbed his tummy for luck as I reassured myself with DeAnn's words about her own learning process which was "hands on by trial and error." DeAnn proved to be an amazing teacher, as well as, a gifted artist.
DeAnn retired several years ago and no longer carves. Her hand carved wooden Hittys are now growing harder and harder to find, although her resin Hittys seem to appear from time to time on eBay.
DeAnn is a wonderful, talented, artistic and spiritual being who made a lasting impression on me. This doll she created is very dear to me. I love all DeAnn's dolls but this one is very special because I put my heart and soul into her as well when I did the restoration. This makes it extremely hard to part with this little Hittybel (now Hitty "Belle") ... But I must because it is necessary to continue to downsize. It is my hope that Hitty "Belle" will be adopted by a Hitty mom who will really love her, both as a little Hitty born of DeAnn's creative and artistic interpretation of the original Hitty, and also, as a little Hitty in need of love and protection after a seemingly scary but untold adventure of her own.
Little Hitty "Belle" has been given a new dress and matching bonnet for her journey to her new home. The dress is a cheerful, bright, turquoise color with a floral design of lush blooming roses in shades of pale pink and deep rose, interspersed with tiny white daisies with sprigs of green leaves. The fabric is woven and looks somewhat like linen but holds it shape and crispness rather like organdy. The bodice of the dress has a scoop neck and elbow length puffed sleeves. The sleeves are gathered with elastic about 1/4" above the sleeve edge which creates a delicate, ruffled edge. The bodice closes at the back with a single metal snap. The skirt of the dress is fully gathered and open at the back with a finished edge from waist to hem. There is a single metal snap near the hem to ensure modesty. The bonnet fabric matches that of the dress except for the inner brim which .is lined in plain turquoise. The bonnet has long, silk ties in varying shades of pink. Beneath the dress Hitty Belle wears white, linen pantalettes edged with delicate, ruffled lace. The pantalettes tie in the front with a white cord.
Please review all photographs carefully and please ask any questions that you may have before offering to bid on this item .
Thank you for looking. Please come back again later for another look at our other listings. We will be listing many, many more dolls and doll related items in the coming weeks and months as we continue to downsize.
All items are from a smoke-free home.