What inspires you? What is your muse?
I feel the most inspired by the seasons because it's hard not to when you are living in that climate all the time. Looking at the world around me, and feeling what I'm creating could be nestled into the leaves falling from the trees in fall, or the big snow banks in the winter time just makes sense. When I imagine something coming to life, it has to fit in the world that I'm currently living in, otherwise it doesn't seem real enough to me and it might not to other people.
When did you create Carys Cuttlefish?
I started sculpting my creatures about four years ago. They began when I was going through a big transition period in my life, and living in a part of town where I didn't get to see people very often. I felt really isolated, and so I started making myself friends so that I wouldn't feel so by myself. An encouraging friend of mine at the time, convinced me that they were good enough to start selling and so I reluctantly gave it a try. I posted them online and the response was beyond my expectations. Things really started to pick up when I was accepted into The Witchery market. I devoted myself to my creatures and sculpting after the positive experiences I received there, and it really solidified that this was something I wanted to be a huge part of my life.
Where did the name come from?
Well my first name was given to me by my parents, Carys is Welsh for loved. Cuttlefish, are cephalopods like Octopuses but smaller and much cuter. They have this amazing ability to adapt to whatever environment they find themselves in with regards camouflaging themselves. It's caused by photophores in their skin. They can mimic the world around them and blend in. I had always loved the creature, and the name for me, meant that maybe I could mirror that attribute and get the creatures in my mind to be a reflection of the way that I see the world, but so that I could blend into the background.
What kind of clay or medium do you use to create your creatures?
I use polymer clay, resin, glass, wire and fun fur for the majority of my creatures. Some have antique pieces added to them that I scavenge for at antique stores and flea markets so that they are just right.
What does "being creative" mean to you?
Being creative to me means having cupboards full of ridiculous odds and ends that others might not see value in. I spend a long time rummaging and sorting through this treasure pile, to find the right eyes, the right hat, the right necklace, the right fur. Being creative for me should feel like playing, and usually it does.
Artist of the Month:
Carys Cuttlefish
"It is so satisfying having this notion that the ideas that are living inside your head really can be something you can hold, touch or see."
Article by
Rebecca Reid