JPD Partners in Craft Presents:
Stony Layne Collections
ARTIST / CREATOR: Lauren Michell
(Search results for “Johanna Parker”)
WHERE: Texas
CRAFT: Folk art sculptures inspired by fairytales and vintage finds. Each crafted by hand using paper clay and acrylic paints.
For Lauren Michell, art has always been a big part of her identity. Even though she took a sidetrack to a completely different career, she still managed to find her way back to what makes her truly happy. As a young girl, she grew up crafting various fun and creative projects with her floral designer mom. Often hand-making her Halloween costumes, her mom is truly the most creative person she knows! Creating something special from anything, she encouraged Lauren’s imaginative spirit and even bought Lauren her first glue gun! Aside from watching and learning from mom, Lauren has a natural artistic ability that she feels came from her dad, a master of the pen and pencil and whose drawings could stop you in your tracks. Having had these experiences, she was naturally drawn to art during college. Studying photo journalism, drawing, sculpting, ceramics and most recently, graphic design, she is fascinated by art in all its forms.
The holidays are a magical time for Lauren and family to really bring everyone together. Decorating and making their homes feel cozy and festive is all part of the holiday fun! As a wife and mother of two precocious and creative little girls, Lauren is also a ringmaster of her own little circus. You can often find her with her head in a book, cooking (she’s her own little kitchen witch), sketching, gardening, and getting crafty with her girls. Luckily, she is married to a man that enjoys and supports her obsession with seasonal decor, too.
Several years back, Lauren began using Pinterest to form boards of interest and stumbled upon Johanna Parker vintage figurines, among others. When she finally joined Instagram, Johanna was one of the first accounts she followed! That's also how she found fellow JPD Partners in Craft artist, Lori Sessions, and began following other artists' work. Soon, there was no turning back as she had completely fallen in love with this magical world of folk art. Wishing to live and breathe this style of art, Lauren began collecting small finds here and there and receiving gifts from dad, a huge Halloween and JP fanatic!
Inspired by this new world, Lauren had a consuming desire to return to her roots and get back in the creative saddle. After a few practice runs with air dry clay, she began sculpting and painting cute and tiny characters to share with family and friends. That's when she had the itch to start a little shop of her own. In August of 2022, and right before her favorite Halloween season, she opened her Etsy Shop. Literally starting small, she grew and with time, her hands and heart remember and discover as her creativity expands with each design. Currently, her focus is seasonal, whimsical, and often literature-inspired figurines using the medium paper clay. At times, she incorporates a vintage or antique find into her pieces, and her style can vary from modern folk and vintage, kitschy, and curious, but always enchanting in some way. Witches and brooms, pumpkins, rabbits, nature, stories, and the supernatural all give her life. Children's stories, fables, cute illustrations, and curious things also inspire. Whether it’s a snaggle-toothed witch with warts, a clown with a creepy demeanor, or old stinky books, it’s the things that make you say "ew" which make her giggle and light up inside. She admits that she never grew out of having her head in the clouds!
Johanna laughs and feels the same! Creating whimsical characters takes one on a flight of fancy and is an uplifting journey and escape. When Lauren reached out to share her work, Johanna recognized the youthful spirit that is present in her own designs and wanted to see more from Lauren’s imagination! Soon they were sharing notes on patina and paint techniques and the clay was flying and taking on various shapes!
Now that Lauren has found a place in the art world again, she has never been more happy to be a part of all of this.. however wild it might get!! Lauren couldn't be more delighted to think of the possibilities this newfound adventure could bring! Indeed, and Johanna looks forward to expanding their characters into such playful figural formats, some with hands and feet and oh so spooky sweet!
Stay tuned for more folk art delights from this creative artist duo!
Social: @StonyLayneCo