Laurie Hardin, of Monkey Cats Studio, answers "If you asked my mother, she would say all of my life. I have always been drawn to the arts and instead of asking for dolls and toys as a child, I remember asking for pads of paper, crayons and pencils. My favorite day of elementary school was Friday, not because of the weekend approaching, but because it was art day and I knew the afternoon would have an art activity."
But the turning point came about five years ago when she had the opportunity to take the summer off to paint landscapes. She then decided if it was at all possible, she would not return to an office job. About a year later she saw an artist on television working in paper mache and it really caught her interest. She liked the idea of translating her holiday figures into three-dimensional characters and to add to the figures she already collected. Apparently it wasn't as easy it first looked, as the first figures were disastrous, lumpy little masses that vaguely looked like her drawings. She didn't give up, went back to the craft store and bought a different brand of paper mache mix and tried again. She found the mix suited her sculpting style, allowing the surface to be smoothed, but still retaining the vintage paper mache look.
Laurie explained "It took me almost a year to really get the process to the point that I could consistently get each batch of paper mache mixed the same, and for the figures to look like the original drawings that inspired them. I began taking the figures to shows and found that they developed a following. The business gradually increased locally and eventually I went online with the collection."
Shown above is Count R. Balance painted in acrylic paints and sealed in a matte polymer varnish.
- Size: 12.5" x 7" x 5"
- Materials: Paper mache, wood and maribou feathers
- Price: $250.
