Hello, my name is Susan Lippl. I was born in Bury, a small town near Manchester, England in 1946. I didn't study Art,as did many doll artists,but went in for science.
In 1970 I left England and went to live for three wonderful years in Bermuda where I met my husband. We moved to New York for a couple of years and since 1975 I've been living in Nuernberg, Germany. As soon as my three boys discovered that girl friends are better than mum's apron strings I started hobby hunting.


First came the salt dough, then clay, then porcelain and finally dolls. That was in 1986. In 1990 I opened my tiny shop "Susan's Nest" on the outskirts of Nuernberg.
Doll making is one of the most exacting hobbies there is. It involves sculpting, mould making, a detailed knowledge of porcelain (much more difficult to handle than clay) and how to fire it. A tremendous amount of imagination and endless patience. One also has to be a dressmaker and hair stylist, not to mention the super fine brushwork needed to paint the doll pieces. After being asked by several people, I decided to try portraits. Some people don't see this as an Art since it's "copying" a photo. I don't understand this attitude. The Artists who paint " Portraits " are accepted as Artists. This procedure involves reducing three existing dimensions to two. To make a doll portrait from a photo however involves using two existing dimensions and adding a third from ones imagination. This is extremely difficult and one needs years of practice before one can make good portrait dolls. Since I've always loved a challenge, this has become my favourite part of dollmaking. It's also brought me the most international prizes. Well, it was really nice of you to visit me and I hope you'll find something you like here. In any case, you're always welcome, so come back soon.


Best wishes from

Susan.