Sennelier Oil Pastels on paper, Black velvet matboard and antique frame. Copyright c. 2011
My abstract style portrait of a New Orleans Vodou priestess and her collection of effigies. The dollies are drawn to look like people, because the priestess keeps the souls of her ancestors in the figures.
Now, the media generally displays Vodou as dolls, and pins, and needles. Demons and evil and spooky people! But Vodou is not some silly hollywood film. Vodou is a way of life, it is a faith with much culture and history behind it. Doll babies, poppets, whatever you want to call them, there are effigies used for good and bad. Practical magic for everyday life, apart of New Orleans Vodou, but not the religion as a whole.
ErzulieRedEyesArtAndSpirit 
Beautiful Haitian Doll sculptures of Artist Pierrot Barra:
http://www.aaoarts.com/afrique/VAUDOU/dec2006.html.html
“Geschichte der Voodoopuppe” from Bokor Marco Bergmann and his video series “Let’s Talk About Vodou.”