Feature of the Day #23: Griffinwyse

 
Greetings!

Art Doll Elf with Kite

Today's feature goes to Griffinwyse, AKA, Kimberly Yavuz and her mystical sculptures.
Yavuz has been creating as long as she can remember. Her passion for drawing, painting, and sculpture can all be seen in her creations today. She has used these different mediums in many ways including; fashion, bridal design, fashion illustration, make-up artist, bronze sculptor, and ceramist. She loves it all and it doesn't matter if she's, "sculpting a bridal gown or painting a face, the thing I love most about the work is how happy creating these things made others. For me nothing could be more rewarding that loving what you do, enjoying the process, and then getting to see people react and smile seeing your creation."
Yavuz's inspiration comes primarily from her daughters who keep her imagination alive and keep new stories and adventures just around the corner every day. Her elven creations fuse her love of books and stories, historical fashion, painting faces, and creating something from nothing. It's clear to see the joy she has in creating in every one of her creations, and the passion she has for making them. Yavuz primarily creates elves, but her shop has been gaining wizards, rabbits, leprechauns, and gnomes recently too.

 

Alice in Wonderland White Rabbit

As far as her store name goes, a griffinwyse is a, "magical creature who is half griffin and half owl. Most magical beings are not commonly seen by humans and the griffinwyse are the gatekeepers of this world. They stay mostly high in the trees and hoot their warning if humans come near. Since elves generally prefer to keep to themselves, many communities rely on their griffinwyse to keep their whereabouts hidden.
The level of detail Yavuz pours into each creation is quite remarkable. From matching colors on a kite, to the tiny hands of a clock, Yavuz uses these details to turn a lifeless sculpture into something that feels like it could walk off its stand at any moment. Perhaps even hop off it?
Yavuz pays homage to the classic tale Alice in Wonderland with her rendition of the White Rabbit, as influenced by Tim Burton's vision. To create the rabbit, she sculpted its form out of polymer clay over a wire armature. She then hand painted him with a, "custom palette of acrylic colors to enhance his detail and bring out his big personality. All her work truly pays off, because one gets the feeling that at any moment the white rabbit is going to stomp his foot impatiently, stare at his over-sized watch in panic, and run off in distress calling, "I'm late, I'm late!"

Venetian Carnival Elf

This same level of detail is displayed in her Venetian Carnival Elf piece.(shown right) The miniscule detail on the mask truly shows how much Yavuz loves her work. A craftsman who works for money wouldn't care if the mask was lovely, but an artist who creates for the joy of it would, and most certainly does.
Check out her Etsy store today to see many more examples of her beautiful sculptures. It's no small thing either, to know that a portion of all her sales goes to the Seattle Children's Hospital.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Griffinwyse?ref=seller_info
Her blog: http://griffinwyse.wordpress.com/
Her official site: http://www.griffinwyse.com/
The Facebook page: www.facebook.com/griffinwyse
Be Creative today!
~Squirrel Creek Creations
Our Etsy store: www.squirrelcrkcreations.etsy.com
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/squirrelcreek
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/SquirrelsCreek