“I have always been into making artwork, starting with construction paper dragons that I used to make in grade school,” says Heather Brown, the creator behind Gizella Dreams.
The artist reveals that she took some art classes in high school but learned most of the techniques she uses for sculpting her fairytale characters online.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, Heather recently became disabled and she turned to sculpting as a favorite activity while she heals. “I have come to the conclusion that I am indeed a sculptor at heart,” she says. It is my happy place and really therapeutic for me. I make surreal, whimsical and fantasy sculptures with polymer clay. People refer to my art style as "creepy cute" and "Burtonesque" which is exactly what I aim for since I adore Tim Burton's style.”
The artist began working with polymer clay after watching videos of people making canes. She bought some colored clay and attempted to make canes herself. She was not very fond of the result, but after playing around she discovered her talent for sculpting.
The part of the artistic process that Heather loves the most is texturing her sculptures, whether it is by making wrinkles or fur. “The detailing is fun for me and makes the sculptures I create unique,” says the artist. “I also like adding the eyes. They allow me to see the creature I'm making come to life.”
Some people sketch their ideas, but Heather starts her projects by playing with foil. She uses foil as an armature for her sculptures. She crushes it around until she starts to see a creature forming. From there, she wraps the foil in clay snakes and smooths it using her sculpting tools. The eyes are added next, then the basic shapes, and ultimately the fine details. Sometimes she also bakes the sculptures in stages so that she can add more details or delicate pieces.
The sculpting part is considered finished after the author’s initials are added on the bottom and the piece is smoothed out with clay softener. After adding the color and baking, Heather rushes to take photos of her newly born creature, to introduce it to the world.
