Goblinfruit Studios

Updates for Winter Salon III!

  • by

Time for an update on Winter Salon III from two fabulous ladies we’ve covered earlier this month.

AlfieWe showed the early stages of a jackalope sculpt by Carisa Swensonand it seems like we have been waiting for the finished pieces as long as we have been waiting for Santa to come down ye ol’ chimney. Wait no longer, because Alfie is here! Totally dressed for a Christmas sweater party or for a shindig at the Griswolds, Alfie the Jackalope has his holiday game face on, and is all about snatching the gingerbread cookies. Santa better watch his back because there may be no cookies left come Christmas Eve!  Fabulous job, Carisa.

Alfie2Next up is a quadruple showing from Megan Baehr aka Nonesuch Garden. We showcased Megan hard at work in a felt wonderland creating centaurs for the show, but little did we know she threw us a curveball with her creative mind. Megan went outside the box for holiday centaurs.
wintercentaursMegan didn’t just create holiday plush centaurs we know from classic mythology and Harry Potter, but she also made a Deertaur and Unicenta with deer antlers and a unicorn horn. This string of ponies consist of Nightmare and Ginger the centaurs, Lolly the Unicenta, and Elwood the Deertaur. We can tell that Megan had a blast making these, and now everyone else can see when the show opens this Friday at Stranger Factory.
elwood2The Winter Salon III runs December 6th – 29th, with an opening reception on Friday, December 6th from 6 – 9 PM.

Jackalopes hop to Winter Salon III

b712b2e654bd11e3803b1276cb13382f_7One thing about the cold winters, it gives great artists like Carisa Swenson time in the warm studio to work. Psssh…they don’t need an excuse to get to the studio!

The creativity is pouring from Carisa’s work space. We know she is a busy bee, but we did manage to get a few progress images for Winter Salon III again. This is still  developing work, but Carisa is sculpting the beloved mythical animal of North American folklore, the Jackalope.

So far, we can see three stages of her Jackalope development here: sculpting, painting, and squishy body creation. Above, we can see the head sculpt taking form. Below, starts the paint application, where many fine details come into play. Finally, (after a small time skip) the body creation and placement! Since Carisa is known for dressing her creations in a delightfully anthropomorphic style, we will just have to wait a bit to see what her genius mind thinks up for the completion.

96cbcda2556b11e39a221263102106fe_71455132_10201583272758152_1249962241_n

See all the work when Winter Salon opens December 6 at Stranger Factory.

 

Work in Progress shots for Winter Salon from Carisa Swenson

  • by

All the artists involved in Winter Salon III are hard at work completing their pieces for the show. After some minor sleuthing, we found some progress images of Goblinfruit Studio aka our very own  Carisa Swenson.
16c9aa06497811e3928d12ca4fdf17b7_7 93cb259e4a3511e3a67012d965504916_7
Carisa appears to be working on some of her amazing “Jackibous” and “Marottes”. Of course, these are the early stages and she is sculpting away, but we know what she is capable of. Winter Salon might turn into Winter Battle Royale with all the great work coming!

The Winter Salon runs December 6th – 29th, with an opening reception on Friday, December 6th from 6 – 9 PM.

Carisa Swenson for Monsters and Misfits III

  • by

dfe2ab8ef45711e2a52322000a9e02f9_7One of the newest members of the Circus Posterus band of misfits, Carisa Swenson aka Goblinfruit Studio is well on her way to global recognition with her appearance in Monsters and Misfits III in Takeyama, Japan.

Continuing with her strategically designed curious creatures and aberrant animal creations, she has sculpted, stitched, and painted the 15.5 inch tall,  conjoined, sideshow-destined Barnabus and Baxter. One body, two heads and all amazement!

While you see Baxter screaming at the distant sea with a sort of blissful melancholy before he reaches Japan, you may wonder what magnificent manner of creature Barnabus and Baxter are exactly. They might resemble a rat, a mole, but they are in fact – a Bilby. Not known to many of us on this side of the pond, Bilbies are desert-dwelling marsupial omnivores that inhabit Australia, but soon they will travel great lengths and will be gleefully parading with the rest of the Circus Posterus anomalies, as Monsters and Misfits III is only six weeks away.

m7m3_slide

 

Another Peek into Stranger Factory’s “Subterrane” Group Sculpture Exhibit

  • by

This time we bring you a peek into a piece by lovely Carisa Swenson (Goblinfruit Studios) for the  “Subteranne” group sculpture exhibit at Stranger Factory! We get a glimpse at her captivating doll known as “Lilah“. This dark Lagomorpha has her veil ready for the opening next week,and we can’t wait.

Subterrane opens Nov. 9th with an opening reception from 6-9pm. A number of the exhibiting artists will be in attendance!

Take a Look into Carisa Swenson’s Goblinfruit Studio

  • by

Goblinfruit Studio is a place where curious creatures and aberrant animals are born, but it is also the home of Carisa Swenson. It is a pleasure to do a post on Carisa. In the many months she and I have been corresponding on social media outlets, she has been abundantly sweet and completely effervescent on doll making.

Carisa is based out of New York city, but you may have seen her in several shows around the country, numerous publications, at the recent Spectrum Fantastic Art live, or even displayed in the Kidrobot NY store. If it isn’t obvious, Carisa is well schooled in doll making having studied under the tutelage of renowned doll maker Wendy Froud. Her creations tend to weave a wonderful back story that are only seen when gazed upon closely. Look into the despondent eyes of “Marcel” as he holds an image of a past love, or the determination in the facial features of the fox in “Kitsune Magic” The character in these creations are a sight to be seen, and the primed execution Carisa outs forth is exceptional.

For more on Carisa and Goblinfruit, visit the site here, and we are proud to have her in Stranger Factory’s “Subterrane” group sculpture exhibit coming Nov. 9.

To see many more pieces by Goblinfruit Studio, click more!

Read More »Take a Look into Carisa Swenson’s Goblinfruit Studio

Stranger Factory Presents: “Subterrane” Group Sculpture Exhibit, 11.9

Opening next month at Stranger Factory is Subterrane, a group sculpture exhibit showcasing the talents of six of the industry’s most promising emerging sculptors. Follow Shing Yin Khor (Sawdust Bear), Carisa Swenson (Goblinfruit Studios), Melita Curphy (MISSMONSTER), Valency Genis, Yosiell Lorenzo and Shea Brittain (FrankenFactory) as they take us for a trip down the rabbit hole to experience a world inhabited by creatures that lurk in caves and crevices which fall just beyond the sun’s reach.

The exhibit also presents an interesting dynamic in that we have the opportunity to learn a whole lot more about ourselves from these creatures. Through sculpture, the artists are able to express complex emotion without the distraction of the familiar human face. Denied the comfort of what we’ve always known, we’re stripped of our preconceived notions and offered the chance to confront the artists’ intent without influence. We’re then able to see more clearly how love, anger, joy, sadness and loss shape and define our own inner creatures.

Subterrane opens Nov. 9th with an opening reception from 6-9pm. A number of the exhibiting artists will be in attendance!

Hit the jump for more sneak peeks from the exhibit!

Read More »Stranger Factory Presents: “Subterrane” Group Sculpture Exhibit, 11.9