Exploring the Haunting Beauty of Fractured Playthings: Dolls with Stories to Tell

Fractured Playthings is a collection of eerie, timeworn dolls and artifacts recovered from the forgotten edges of memory...dusty attics, abandoned nurseries, and crumbling institutions long left behind. Each doll bears the physical and emotional imprint of the person who once clung to it for comfort in a fractured world. These are not just toys; they are silent witnesses to sorrow, resilience, and the unspoken bond between humans and comfort objects. The background: I've done my best to bring these dolls back to life, so to speak...all of them were destined to be discarded, having outlived their usefulness through lack of care, flooding, fire...you name it. But rather than let them rot, I decided to paint them to look ancient, give them eerie, sometimes emotional backstories, and let them bring a sense of mystery, wonder, and hopefully a little joy to doll collectors. At Fractured Playthings, imperfection is celebrated. We're all fractured...but sometimes it's beautiful. -Brad 8/8/25