Martine Gourbault was born in Paris and has enjoyed a successful career in Canada as magazine designer, children’s book illustrator and painter. She is now combining this experience with sewing and knitting skills she learned from her mother and grandmother and is creating a collection of unique hand- crafted art dolls.

"Stepping into this particular area of fiber arts has felt like the natural next- best- thing for me. I‘ve been longing to explore new creative avenues, to play with touchy feely materials and work in 3D. I have always loved fashioning things with my hands and the creative process is what I find most satisfying. Fashion design has been an interest of mine over the years so I can indulge in gathering fabrics, yarns, buttons and beads to create the perfect outfit to suit each doll’s quirky personality. The process of developing a doll’s look and character is essentially the same as it is for a children’s book (with additional cuddle and squeeze potential!) and comes fairly easily to me, but as I work rather organically, there are usually surprises along the way and I often find myself correcting and fine-tuning details at the last minute in order to get everything to look just right".