by Samantha Danson
Today I'll be interviewing myself, Sam of Halo Repaints. I'm so happy
to be returning with this group of talented women for another run at
bringing beloved characters to life.
How many shows have you been involved with?
This will be my 4th. Crazy how fast it goes!
How long does a TRS project generally take for you?
HAHAHAHAHAHA...HA! I'm usually the caboose of the pack, sliding into
the deadline with minutes to spare if not crying at 2am the night after while frantically working on an accessory. After picking the subject, there are days of online research, weeks of finding just the
right materials, at least a week of work on the doll itself, night after night of sewing the costume, and in most cases, creating the
accessories from scratch. Even dressing the finished doll will yield a snag or two that takes up more precious time. Smooshed together,
probably about 3-4 weeks per doll but as I only paint with natural
light and have other dolls to do in the meantime, somehow the months
we get in advance evaporate.
What's the hardest/best thing about participating?
The hardest thing for me is investing 3-4 weeks of work and
exponential costs on something I can't sell for a few months.
The best thing is of course the friendships within the society itself.
It's all fun and games for the first couple of months, bantering about
fabrics and techniques but it's the bonds that can only be formed
under intense stress that last lol. Aysun and I lamenting the last
hours of the OUAT challenge was hilarious but kept me sane. Also, the
level of skill is so high in this group that it forces me to bring my
A game. I love them for that.
What's your personal favorite achievement?
My favorite dolls overall would have to be Once Upon a Time's Red and Star
Wars' Starkiller. I easily spent a month and a half on both. Red's
basket was my crowning glory lol. I couldn't find what I wanted so I
fashioned her 2" one from an actual people sized one and sculpted and
painted all the food myself. People went nuts over the doll and I was
like, "Yeah, but did you see that basket??" lol.
What's the most expensive element you've incorporated?
Dolls and fabric aside, the most expensive item was probably Once Upon
a Time's Jasmine's caftan. There was a good $60 worth of crystals
individually glued to the trim.
What excites you most about this show?
Definitely everyone's personal interpretation of their characters.
They're really getting into it with backstories and everything! The
amount of work in each is going to be insane too. I'm really excited
to see all of them together.
Why did you pick your character?
Tinkerbell is a spitfire and has long been a favorite of mine. When
she was still available by the time it was my turn to pick, I figured
it was supposed to be.
How did you decide your concept?
It took a couple of weeks as there were a lot of different ways I
could go. Ultimately, I decided to make her exterior finally match her
interior. She's always been portrayed as bright and cute but if you
read the books, she's really not lol. Barrie said that because she was
so small, she could only contain one emotion at a time and most of the
time it was anger or annoyance. She runs with the Lost Boys. She's
feared by pirates. So she'll be gorgeous but unapologetically taking
no s&*^, thank you very much!
What will be your greatest challenge in creating her?
I haven't made wings in almost 10 years so it'll be interesting to see
how they go.
I hope this gives you a peek into our side of the curtain!
