Gerda Schaarman-Rijsdijk is the artist behind GSR Original Art Dolls and was one of the first Dutch doll artists, who established a great appreciation for her craftsmanship and artistry in the United States of America.

Being a fashion designer she turned into a professional doll artist of porcelain artist dolls in 1988. Her introduction into the United States started with an article in the May 1990 issue of Doll Reader.

Gerda lives and works in Barendrecht, a town in the west of The Netherlands near Rotterdam.  She creates her dolls in a large studio overflowing with materials and souvenirs she accumulated on her many travels.  In particular, Gerda has a collection of antique wedding dresses that serve as an inspiration.  As her husband Guus says, "Just having them in her surrounding sets the atmosphere and ambience that contributes to her designs!" Here she expresses what the Dutch refer to as "soul-emotion"… a term that may not have an equivalent in English but is easily recognizable in the faces of the dolls she creates.

Gerda is a highly talented self taught artist who is very committed to her creations with a strong feeling for detail. She started out working with cernit, but soon turned to porcelain, which she sculpts wet. She pursues constantly a challenge in style and design of her creations, but always with a red thread of her so recognizable in her art style. The clothing design and finishing, the harmony in colour setting and the handpainted eyes are also an integrated part of her art style.

Gerda created two widely appreciated, loved and collected vinyl dolls, a girl "Patouche"  and a boy "Bébel".  As a welcome escape from her porcelain creations, Gerda finds great joy in making her mohair bears.  Each bear is a joy for the eye, unique with their own personality, but so recognizable as a GSR.  

She has been exhibiting at the New York Toy Fair for fifteen years now and also presents her dolls at IDEX.   Gerda does not participate in any contests as she believes that the best juries are the fans and the collectors of her dolls and bears.

"Present times require courage".....Gerda says. "Present times stimulate the need to escape from reality…so now-and-than, to escape into mysteries of honesty, purity, and innocence. "Her dolls bring those mysteries close to the heart of many collectors.

Dolls by Gerda Schaarman-Rijsdijk

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