A Mother and Her “Doll-ters”

How artist Bean Shanine brings her monster baby dolls to life

A reborn vampire baby doll, crafted by Bean Shanice, is showcased for sale on her Etsy shop, The Twisted Beanstalk. Priced at $2,450, each doll is full customizable, offering a variety of unique visual options.

Photo courtesy of Shanine Giasson

Story by Andrea Ornelas

Thousands of miles away from her home in Bellingham, Washington, Shanine Giasson sits aboard a cruise ship on a 33-day journey through the South Pacific. With the horizon stretching endlessly around her, she takes a moment to reflect on the path her art has taken, a journey as expansive as the ocean she sails. 

Giasson is known for her uncanny, fantasy-inspired reborn dolls. Traditionally, reborn dolls are hyper-realistic dolls that are designed to resemble newborn humans. Giasson’s creations, however, are anything but traditional.

Giasson didn’t set out to become a reborn artist. Once a stay-at-home mom of four with an artistic spark that others believed would lead her to having a creative career, Giasson felt anything but certain about her path.

“Back in my twenties, I felt a little more lost because I didn’t know where my journey was gonna take me,” Giasson recalled.

It was 2010, and the world of social media was still emerging. Giasson had just had her youngest son and was searching for the perfect Christmas gift for her best friend, Lisa. While scrolling on eBay, she came across reborn dolls for the first time.

“I didn't know anything about them. I was obsessed with looking at these babies. I was like, oh my gosh! I need to get one of these and learn how to paint it,” Giasson explained.

She decided to make Lisa a doll, but not just any doll. Giasson wanted to paint a doll that would capture her best friend's kooky personality. Ultimately, she transformed the doll into a zombie baby. Curiosity got the best of her and before gifting it, she posted the doll on eBay.

 “It was a matter of minutes before it sold… it kind of started snowballing from there,” she recalled.

Giasson, under the pseudonym Bean Shanine, sells her dolls online on multiple platforms under the name The Twisted Beanstalk Nursery, with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. 

Over a decade later, Giasson has moved on from eBay sales to award-winning shows and has established herself as a recognized artist in the reborn doll community.

But reactions to her work were not always positive.

“When I first started, people hated me because I made more fantasy dolls and zombie babies, they were just like, ‘You’re messed up in the head, who does that to a baby,’” she laughed, reflecting on the early days of her career.

It was then that Giasson decided to hone her skills until others couldn’t dismiss her. “Just make a doll, sell it, buy more supplies, put the work in,” she said. “I became really dedicated to it and then it became my passion.”

Her artistic career centers around fantastical reborn dolls, but Giasson has also opened her own home to a number of foster children. Nearly a decade ago, she began fostering special needs and medically fragile children, many of whom require around-the-clock care. What started out as a favor to a friend quickly became her calling, and she has now fostered around 15 children.

“I love the nurturing of it,” she said, finding fulfillment in reaching milestones and providing a safe home.

Balancing her artistic work and foster care can be demanding, but Giasson approaches both with dedication. Her creative process is deeply intuitive. She studies each doll’s features and essentially lets their expressions and features dictate what they will become. “When I look at the doll itself, I can see ‘Oh this baby would make a good clown or make a good vampire,’” she explained.

Giasson’s distinct artistic style blends whimsical and eerie elements, making her dolls instantly recognizable to collectors. From start to finish, Giasson curates every part of her creations, each step accentuating her passion for color and fantasy. Her dolls transform into a range of creatures, including clowns, vampires, pixies and ghosts. Even with their eerie qualities, the dolls maintain an innocent and lighthearted charm.

Despite Giasson’s dedication to her craft, she inevitably runs into creative blocks. When she’s feeling stressed out, Giasson finds comfort in her two horses Boujee and Bling, who allow her to return to her art with a clear mind. “When I’m feeling a little anxious or overwhelmed, I can go [see my horses] and everything is just, whoosh, calm,” she said.

Giasson has refined her workflow, often working on multiple dolls at one time. During the holidays, her workload grows, and she works on eight or nine dolls at the same time, she said. To keep the process running smoothly, she groups dolls with similar color palettes. Each doll takes around 20 hours to complete, including painting, baking and finishing touches. 

Over the years, Giasson’s work has caught the attention of major platforms including Shark Tank and a reality TV series that sought to showcase her artistry. However, both opportunities fell through when Giasson realized that they didn’t align with her values.

Producers approached her with the idea of creating a doll series, suggesting that she could meet with actors to discuss orders, make the dolls and deliver them. “They want people to have big reactions. I just didn't think that would be very healthy for me because it wouldn't be about the artwork,” she said.

Giasson’s genuine love for her craft is apparent; she even has tattoos of her favorite dolls, including one of a green zombie doll named Zuri wearing a bright pink beanie. “I remember them all. They're like all my little children, all my little weird children,” she said.

Giasson has learned the value of versatility and resilience — skills that she applies both to her artwork and her role as a foster parent. “I can cope and adapt to different situations. I'm lucky to be able to be an artist and then also give back by fostering,” she reflected.

For Giasson, the world of reborn art isn’t just about crafting fantasy. She prioritizes forming connections with her community and is driven by their encouragement. Without this sense of support she might not have kept pursuing her passion for so long. Through her artistry and fostering, Giasson has found her calling. 

As our conversation comes to an end, Giasson gazes out at the endless blue of the South Pacific, reflecting on her legacy.

“I hope that people just remember me as a colorful, fun artist that cares for my original ideas,” she says. “I would hope that the younger generations will carry that along. That they can push the envelope and they can do what their heart desires and don't worry about what other people say.”

With that, Giasson begins to plan her day. “I think I’m gonna take Mary out,” she says. Dressed in a floral outfit and hat with a bow, Mary is one of her “children” that Giasson brought along on the cruise.

“We're gonna eat at the buffet, and then I'll probably sit out on the deck and I think I'm gonna do some drawing, some artwork today. I bring books and canvases and make sure that I have art supplies with me.”

Illustrations by Kain Kaiyala