"A while back I wrote a fairy tale book, "The Sad Little Princess," with the most famous paper doll artist in the world, Tom Tierney. I wrote the book and provided the costume designs and he drew the paper dolls. It was an honor as Tom has never drawn anybody else's dolls. Additionally, Tom did two magazine centerfolds with my dolls and costumes."
~ Stacia McDonough
Who is Tom Tierney
The New York Times has reviewed Tom Tierney's work thrice, and that he is the only paper doll artist to have a review in their Literary Section. Smithsonian Magazine has also featured him in an article about Dover Publishing. He has appeared on several TV programs, including "What's My Line", "CNN News", and "NBC News", and the "Joe Franklin Show", as well as being featured in a number of major newspaper's articles. In 1997 He was featured in the "Talk of the Town" section of the New Yorker Magazine. In 1999 his paper dolls of Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Blanchette were featured in the N.Y. Times "Style" magazine, and in 2000 McCall's "Star Style" magazine featured three of his paper dolls, Katherine Zeta Jones, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Nicole Kidman. His work was featured on the cover of the American Costumer's Magazine for Dec. 2000, and in January of 2001 he was interviewed and quoted as an authority on "Presidential Dressing" in the New York Daily News.
About his paper doll work Tom Tierney states: "I feel that the most important thing about my paper doll books is that I am using the medium of the paper doll as an art form. To me, paper dolls can be more than just some 'cutsie' bit of fluff to be thrown at the children to perpetuate boredom. They can be artistic, vital, and alive and can tell us much about people, the clothes they wore, the way they lived and something of the times in which they lived. I also feel that the animation of the dolls and the costumes can indicate much about the personality of the subject. In conjunction with drawing the dolls I also write my own text, which I feel is an important adjunct to my books, explaining my `raison d'être' for treating the subject. Of course, I also thoroughly enjoy doing all the other sorts of illustration that I am involved in. The greater the variety, the less opportunity for stagnation to set in!"
Perhaps the greatest "perk" to come from his career as a paper doll artist is to receive fan mail from all around the world.
Tom has moved to Smithville, Texas. Patrick is Tom's business assistant and creates computer graphics from Tom's self-published pieces, while Kathy stays busy managing the web site and mail orders. Tom, Kathy, and Patrick are partners in their corporation, "Tom-Kat Paper Dolls".
Click here to read about 'The Magic Geese Swan Book" by Stacia McDonough