As part of Artisan Crafts Week here on deviantART I'll be doing a series of interviews with some of dA's most prominent crafters.
First out is dollmaker *BishonenHouse - thank you so much for doing this!!

First off, please introduce yourself? Who are you, where are you from?

My name is Donn Kinney. I grew up in a small town in the mountains of Southern West Virginia. I've always made things with my hands and worked with clay and ceramics since I was was very young. In 1990 my sculpting and puppet making work earned me a full scholarship to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After graduation, I stayed in Pittsburgh to work for the next 13 years.

How did you get started doing your craft?

It was a rather long process for me to discover my craft. For me to become a doll artist took about 15 years of creative soul-searching.

I've always been a big fan of puppetry and in my last year of art school I did a lot of work with puppets, puppet making and puppeteering. My first job was in the creature shop on the set of the final live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. Following that, in 1994 a couple of friends and I founded a puppet shop in Pittsburgh and we began doing puppet work on a few children's programs for PBS and a national television series for preschoolers called the Fox Cubhouse. During that time, I began to experiment with CG Character animation and did a few bits of animation for show openings. Afterwards, I collaborated on a couple of short films which were well received at several animation festivals. I began to do less and less puppet work and more animation work, but after working in animation for six years, I was beginning to tire of spending all my days in front of a computer. I found myself at a point where I was bored of doing work for large companies and knew I wanted to get back to working in traditional media. Finally, in the summer of 2004, I was introduced to the world Ball Jointed Dolls "BJDs" while attending Otakon, a large anime convention in Baltimore. After i returned home from Otakon i began to do research on BJDs and came across the works of Hans Bellmer and Ryo Yoshida, I was instantly inspired and knew from that point on i wanted to make dolls.

How would you describe your personal style? And when did you know you had one?

I would describe my personal style as "altered realism". My work is somewhat realistic in the anatomy and how i use materials and shading to simulate skin, but at the same time I play with proportions and features in a highly stylized fashion. It was easy to tell that I had a personal style when i began making dolls, out of the 100s of company made BJDs people always knew which dolls were mine.

What tools and materials do you use? Where do you create - home, studio?

I do my original sculptures with SuperSculpey Gray. I then make silicone molds and cast my finals in polyurethane resin. The whole process is quite long and there is some specific equipment involved in the molding and casting process - namely, a pressure chamber and a vacuum chamber. After four years of full time dollmaking I have outgrown my home studio and am building a larger studio space. It'll be nice to have a dining room table again.

In your view, what makes a great crafted creation?

Aside from mastery of design and materials, a well-crafted piece should be superior upon close inspection to any counterpart that is fabricated or mass-produced in a factory environment.

Do you take your own photos? Any tips you want to share for presenting your work?

I take all of my photos myself. I rely on natural light since I don't have a proper studio lighting setup. For anyone on a tight budget, I think that natural light is the best choice to photograph sculptural work.

What inspires you when you create?

Sometimes movies, comics or games. Sometimes seeing a particular person in a particular real-life situation or even past experiences. It varies depending on the piece.

What are you up to? Any projects planned?

I am currently constructing a new doll studio which is a huge project for me. At the same time I am finding time to work on a couple new doll sculpts and two books -- a doll art book and a "how to" guide to molding and casting.

Where would you like to see deviantART head in terms of it's Artisan Craft galleries and community?

Deviant Art already offers a lot of flexibility and features I haven't fully exploited.

What are your fav pieces of art on dA?

I could never list all of my favorite pieces on DA "there are far too many" so I'll limit myself to the work of a few of my favorite artist made bjds,

by ~dollist
there's something about this photo that i just love, the handmade doll, the dim lighting and the setting come together perfectly.

by ~twigling
looks like a storybook come to life, the doll is beautiful and the photo as well.

by *batchix
I think batchix Machina is an adorable doll and this picture is just wonderful.

What's your favourite creation of your own?

"The Gift" is definitely my favorite piece. The Gift was a piece that's been growing in the back of my mind for years, Its also a very personal piece that i think many can relate to. Who at some point has not nearly destroyed themselves because of love? I'm also happy that this piece was well received by deviantArt members.

What is the best tip you can give to others?

Be original in your work. Although imitating other styles is an important learning tool, don't let your work be too influenced by what is popular. Your own unique style is what makes you valuable.