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Clanimalzoo's
History...
or so I've been told...
Hi, I'm the Clanimalzoo
keeper (but I think they keep me.)
This all started many moons
ago, (30yrs.) in a land of innocence (my basement).
While being
held captive in the dungeons of my home,
(for crimes I committed
in a previous life, ......or so I was told?) I began to long
for friendship.....
a smiling face and a silly attitude .....
anything to lighten and brighten my day.
And there in the midst
was something wondrous, magical and full of promise.....
a bag
of stoneware Clay, and then I knew, I could make my own friends!!
So clay in hand, I began to shape a universe I could understand
(or at least, laugh at),
it was one that was happy, silly and
mostly harmless. And so it began..... and then my house started
filling up.
Every where you looked, Clanimals were abounding...
smiling, laughing and doing silly things.....
And then my Husband
said "Go forth and sell them" And so I did and it was
good....
We traveled around the U.S.
for many, many years, doing an exuberant number of art shows*.
I met many happy people who gave my Clanimals wonderful homes!
And over the years, adopted more!
Soon the demand for the Clanimals
became more than I could create, individually.
And thus began
the Limited Edition line of Clanimals.....
Each of the Clanimals is an
original design created by the keeper (J. L. Helfferich),
with
help from the resident Clanimals ( Boo, Buttercup, Rufus, and
many others ).
The Ltd. edition Clanimals are hand-cast in cold-cast stoneware and porcelain,
and then hand finished
with love and care, by "the artist"
( the Clanimal
keeper's other title ).
The are
"one of a kind" originals, hand sculptured from a "gob"*
of high-Kiln fired ( hot, hot, HOT! )
stoneware clay..... each an individual treasure. ( and well trained
too, sort of..... )
*a Clanimal technical term, meaning gob, smaller Clanimals are
made from "gobulettes" (small gobs of clay ).
* Better known shows we exhibited at:
Yankee Peddler Festival, Canal Fulton, Ohio 20 years,....
Allentown Streets Festival
Cornhill Festival, and quite a few others,
I can't remember the names of....... but we had fun!
All Rights Reserved & Copy Righted
By J. L Helfferich 2017
