Weird Santa Therapy

Holidays can be a downer for some people. I just lost my mother, so this year will be especially challenging. I have decided to treat my blues - like I do each year - with Weird Santa Therapy. I also add angels to the mix, and I've been known to create Rudolph the Redneck Reindeer (and accompanying lyrics - you don't want to go there), as well as Candy Critters - bottles with sculpted neurotic heads and attached greetings (e.g. "Good News: the Grinch didn't steal Christmas. Bad News: he stole your identity!").

Here's my current studio in action.

I save bottles and jars all year-round to use for the bodies. I sculpt first with aluminum foil and wire, topped with modeling paste, which is then topped with layers of Apoxie Clay to form the features.

Once they are suitably weird, I paint them until they come to life (for me, anyway).

This is my favorite Weird Santa, called "Santa Freud and his Bi-Polar Bear".

You can see the happy side of the bear's face in this photo.

Past Santas also include Santa Claustrophobia, Santa Klaus Von Bulow, Santa Lobster Claws, and Santa Closet (dressed to the nines and announcing "Chartreuse is the new red!"). Who knows what this year will bring?

And then we have the "Angels We Have Heard on High Heels".