My Entries for the Polymer Clay Smooshers Fairy Tale Challenge

I just finished my second sculpture for the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild Fairy Tale Challenge.  I've been working on these two pieces for several weeks now.  The first piece I'm entering  is my sculpture of a Gnome and a Halfling standing outside the Halfling's Mushroom house and sharing garden vegetables.  The mushroom cap has glow in the dark accents and a light inside.  This one was inspired by Grampa and our neighbor sharing their vegetables when I was young.  All sorts of fairy tales inspired this as well.  I like imagining that there's a whole world out there that most people never see, like mushrooms that serve as houses for fairy tale creatures.

These whimsical sculptures are just so much fun to create!  They do take a lot of time, but that's half the enjoyment- all those little details that make the piece so much more special.  My second entry  portrays a fairy offering a sparkling purple unicorn a large leaf full of red and green apples.

I sculpted the unicorn first, using a purple sparkle clay that looks very nice with his gold mane, tail, and hooves- very regal coloring.  The horn is sculpted from glow in the dark clay, so you can see the magic it contains at night.  After pondering for a bit I decided he needed a friend- he looked lonely.  And since the theme is Fairy Tales, I had to sculpt a fairy.  This fairy comes bearing a gift for her friend: a large leaf brimming with delicious apples.  Since she can fly, she's able to find all the best apple trees.
Both of these sculptures were a lot of fun to create, and they make me smile.  That's something I always hope my work does for others- puts a smile on their face.
I've seen some of the other entries for this Challenge, and I'm very impressed.  The Smooshers have some very talented artists in their ranks!  I love that these challenges often push people to try things outside their normal boundaries.  I know I've tried many new things and gone in different directions in order to create pieces for a Challenge.
Stay tuned for more new creations from CreativeCritters!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Been smooshing some clay

Lately I've been doing a lot of sculpting and have been inspired by Boris and Dinko Tilov.  I've created several fun pieces, and have really been in a good creative groove.  The Dragons I sculpted for Mother for Christmas were made with guidance from the Tilov's book Sculpting Mythical Creatures in Polymer Clay.  The projects in this book are so much fun, and the possibilities for variations are limitless.

My Griffin sculpture was created as an entry in the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild Mythology Challenge.  This was another whimsical project from the same book.  He was also the first griffin I've sculpted, but certainly not the  last!  I like the way he came out.  I think he's got a lot of character!

My best friend's birthday is coming up, so I sculpted a lighted Mushroom Gnome house for her.  I included a funny gnome based on Tilov's gnomes.  I've sculpted several lighted houses, but this was the first lighted mushroom house in my repertoire.  Right now I'm putting the finishing touches on another lighted mushroom house.  The first turned out so well, I just had to make another.  This one will have a gnome and a halfling sharing his garden vegetables.  That would represent my longing to get back out in the garden- LOL!  My next sculpture will be another project from Tilov's book.  I'm sure I'll create several versions of just about all of the projects in this book.  They're so much fun to create, and while I'm sculpting the story of the piece plays itself out in my mind.
So that's what I've been up to lately. ;)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Fantasy Creations from CreativeCritters

My love of the world of fantasy can easily be seen in much of my work.  I'm inspired by artists like Boris Valejo and Julie Bell (among many others), as well as by the fantasy books I read from authors like Piers Anthony, Jack Chalker, Mercedes Lackey, and Terry Brooks.  As I read I can see the characters and scenes unfolding in my mind.  There are times when I MUST sculpt a particular character or scene.  I just love the thought of magic, talking animals, fierce (or friendly) dragons, brave knights, powerful magical women- fantasy allows anything to become possible.  Most of my fantasy pieces are quite time consuming and labor intensive, but it's a labor of love.  A lot goes into them and I try very hard to get them to convey the right feeling.  Some are comical, like Mohawk the Troll (in the picture above), some are more serious, or even downright scary.  You can find fantasy pieces in my jewelry and magnet category, my pen category, and of course, my fantasy sculpture category. These are also all one of a kind pieces, and of course sculpted by hand in polymer clay.  The clay itself has a certain magic to it, which lends itself nicely to fantasy sculptures.  You take this pretty colored lump of clay, smoosh it, smash it, smooth it, and voila!- an amazing sculpture emerges, sometimes as if by itself.  This is certainly my favorite medium to work with.  There are just limitless possibilities for what I can create.  Below is a sample of the pieces you'll find in my shop, with more being added regularly.  Just click on the picture to go directly to the listing, or click on one of the category links above to browse.  Thanks for stopping by and looking!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters