Some of Shirley’s dolls feature an old picture of a little girl. Since she doesn’t have any pictures of herself as a child, she has adopted this image to represent her memories of the past.

Shirley Elliott-Banks first began making little dolls to accompany outfits she made for her lingerie business. Her first dolls were very traditional, but soon she began to experiment. Eventually, Shirley started her own business, Kaity Dolls Primitives. Some of her more traditional dolls are made from apples, walnuts and cornhusks. At the other end of the spectrum are manufactured doll figures that she dresses in period costumes or as personages such as Billie Holiday.

In addition to mastering the art of traditional doll making, Shirley has developed new techniques. For instance, she has superimposed a photograph of her granddaughter’s face onto the head of a doll. Another technique she developed involves tinting the fabric for a doll’s face with shoe polish, giving it an unusual texture. As part of her ongoing creative exploration, Shirley has created wall hangings and a series of African warrior dolls.