(Joyce) Ann Timmerman was born in Roanoke, Alabama on August 6, 1945, the day the first atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War II. From the early age of two, Ann loved drawing, especially the human face and figure. Her love of art, and also her love of dolls were encouraged by her mother, Atha Timmerman, who was also an artist and created beautiful landscape paintings.

Growing up in Roanoke, Ann made dolls from every available medium, including old sheets, socks, folded paper, kleenex with pipe cleaner and cardboard. No matter how crude the material, her imagination was great enough to see a doll in a silver-haired ear of corn plucked right off the stalk, or in weeds by the creek which she carefully designed to represent mermaids or girls in grass skirts.

She attended the University of Alabama, majoring in Fine Arts and was recognized as "Outstanding Student in Art" in her senior year. She has also raised two children, and pursued her artistic skills serving as art director for several advertising firms in Birmingham. It was a long time before she came back to her early love of doll creating. She says, "I began making reproduction dolls in 1980. I made them off and on as a hobby for about 10 years."

Ann also tells us, "In 1990 I was inspired to sculpt my first doll after visiting a Birmingham doll shop that beautifully showcased original artist dolls." In 1992, she completed her first original sculpted porcelain doll. Since then, she has become well known among doll collectors. Her beautiful dolls, sculpted and painted with life-like detail, have won her many nominations and four awards in the Dolls Award of Excellence. "Johanna II", dressed One-of-a-Kind, was exhibited in Belgium in 1999 at "Masterpieces at Spiegelhof".

She enjoys the sculpting part of the doll-making process the most, painting the face is a close second. "I want so much to capture a moment in time, in the expression on the doll's face, something poignant that will take the viewer to a special place of connection in their own lives."

Ann was one of the first artists to use resin as a medium for fine art dolls. The translucency and softness of the special resin (Lumicast Resin™), along with special painting techniques, gives the dolls such a life-life quality one almost expects them to laugh and speak. She says, "A variety of sources inspire me when I create a doll. I usually work from photos, sometimes I just let the face emerge from an idea I have and let what is happening lead me. I am always looking at children, trying to remember little faces that have special appeal."

Ann is currently sculpting dolls for Ashton-Drake Galleries, a company recognized for expressive dolls that portray special childhood moments. Doll lovers can expect to see many new and appealing dolls from the hands of Ann Timmerman. She was born with a gift and has been blessed to be able to share it with others who love dolls as much as she does.

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