Jurate is a very talented, award winning cloth doll artist. Her dolls have won ribbons and trophies in the prestigious Antelope Valley Doll show in Manteca, California from 1997 - 2000. She won first Prize, Judges Choice in the Rocky Mountain Doll and Quilt Show in 1999. Jurate has had two one woman shows in an art gallery in Vilnius to display her dolls.
In 1992, my husband and I were in the same train compartment from Vilnius, Lithuania to Riga, Latvia, with Jurate and her husband, Mantas. We began to chat when Jurate commented on a needlepoint I was working on. Just before we got off the train, Jurate showed me the dolls that she was taking to sell in Sweden. I was charmed by them, but we got off the train before we could find out their full names. All we knew was that his name was Mantas and that he was getting his Doctorate in marine biology at the University of Vilnius. My husband later traced them through the American Embassy in Vilnius.
I was delighted to find them and have been selling Jurate's dolls for her in the U.S. and entering them in doll contests. All of the dolls that have been entered have won ribbons or trophies. Each doll is one-of-a-kind. I feel very privileged to help this very talented artist. All of the proceeds from the sale of the dolls goes directly to Jurate by wire transfer from my bank to hers.
Background:
Jurate wrote to me (Deborah Junker):
"When I studied at University (Vilnius) one of my friends who worked at an art shop suggested to me to try to make dolls. I liked to paint, to sew, but never tried to make dolls. I've tried and found that this work is interesting for me. Nobody taught me how it was to do! I learned it from myself, step by step. Now I keep my two first dolls as treasure - how funny they are! Nobody is staying in one place so I'm trying to make dolls better, more subtle than the ones before. I think you remember my first dolls I sent you - they were funny. I like this work. Each detail, each character or mood in dolls is created by myself - that's why I like this work. After some years my work is full of secrets, how to make one or other detail. What a mysterious woman! (smile).
I am a 30 year old woman who still didn't 'grow up' !!! Married with no children, our lovely 'boy - dog', Dikas. Educated at the University of Vilnius. I wanted to be a painter and tried designing clothes before making dolls. When a friend suggested that I try to make dolls to sell, I had no idea how to do it. I hadn't any materials so I cut my skirt. I've found for myself many mysteries in making dolls and I can be my own person.
Sometimes I joke that people in foreign countries know about my dolls more than in my own country."
Carl and I were going to be vacationing in Spain and France in September. When Jurate and I discussed this trip she and Mantas decided to take Mantas' vacation time and try to meet us in the Bordeaux region of France. They drove as fast as they could to try to connect with us. (It was difficult, but we managed to work it out! I told her that it was meant to be like meeting them on the train 9 years ago.)
We spent a wonderful afternoon with
them in St. Emillion, France. It was so good to see them again.
Jurate taught "Sweet and Funny Puppets" on Collectors Abbey and I got to test her
pattern and directions! More classes will be announced in the future
Debbie (Jurate's mentor, friend, and 2nd mother)
