Canadian Artist Marlene Xenis Brings Your Favorite Stories To Life In Wood

The Xenis Collection - Founded in 1994 from her basement, Marlene Xenis built a reputation for creating some of the finest wood dolls in the world. Handcrafted from Canadian maple and other selected hard woods, Marlene and her daughters Tania and Jesse have turned their love for the arts and the magic of classic children stories into unique, eye-catching creations: each has an expressive sculpt brimming with character and is fun to display and pose. Each of the solid wood bodies is crafted and finished by hand. The original clothing designs are individually tailored. Each Xenis collectible is made in very limited quantities and signed by the artist. Design and craftsmanship of this caliber is rare in the world today. We know you and your family will treasure your Xenis collectible for generations to come!

The Beauty Of The Wood Is An Integral Characteristic Of The Dolls By Xenis

The Toy Shoppe has watched Marlene Xenis develop into one of the world's top wood doll makers. Xenis designs are filled with expressive character, her material choices are exceptional and the craftsmanship is superb.

Most all Xenis creations begin with Canadian Western Maple. This is a very hard wood that is reasonably impervious to scratches and dents. It comes in a variety of colors ranging from white and soft yellow to soft pink...almost a natural skin tone itself. This is a fine wood to carve and it sands to a very smooth, marvelous finish. Canadian Western Maple is one of the few woods that allows for the intricate detail of Xenis designs!

To make these beautiful wood objects requires artistry, craftsmanship and hard work. After each piece is roughly chiseled it goes through three steps of arduous hand sanding. When you touch a Xenis creation, you will be astounded by the quality with which they finish their pieces... so smooth, so rich and so delicate.

Each face is hand painted by brush to fit individual personalities. There is no airbushing, not even on the soft shading! And by combining several staining techniques along with the hand painting, Xenis integrates the beauty of the wood with distinct and very appealing results. Hand painting the final details ensures that your Xenis creation is truly unique.