Help, Help There's a Monster in the Closet!

But don't worry. He's really well dressed.

You'll find him and his friends the Broccoli Monster and the Yoga Monster, hanging out near Hartford, Connecticut, or on Etsy at Monster in the Closet.

Sarah, the gifted printmaker responsible for all these adorable monsters, is a full time middle school art teacher. If spending all day creating with kids doesn’t provide enough inspiration, she has daughter Lucy, age five and a half, and son Ronin, two and a half to keep the creative juices flowing. Her sense of humor is present in all her work, appealing both on a child’s level and the adult’s. The Evolution of the Mix Tape is a very clever example of her skills to charm all ages.

Sarah’s work also exhibits the artist’s most important tool, her passion for her art. She cites Japanese artist Hokusai, who created thousands of wood block prints in the late 1700’s to early 1800’s as a great influence on her carving. She understands his obsession, always thinking about the next carving, even while her hands haven’t finished the carving she just started.

Monster in the Closet sprung from a shirt Sarah printed three years ago for her daughter. She remembers thinking, “I actually love this!...what can I make next!”. Her Etsy shop was a natural next step for someone who has had various business venture though the years, including selling friendship bracelets as a kid. Her art and life experiences flavor all her prints with exuberance and wit.

For every working mother/artist, the greatest challenge is finding enough time in each day to make lunches, read stories, buy groceries, work, and create masterpieces. Sarah makes the most of any opportunity, no matter how small the window of time, to work on her carving. Because her medium is fairly portable, the livingroom can double as a studio so she can create while the kids watch t.v.

Lucy and Ronin do provide help to their mom’s entrepreneurial enterprise, too. Often, they work in Sarah’s work space with her. They create along with her, mixing materials and ideas. Lucy offers suggestions for new designs. What better advice for designs for kids, than from a kid?

It is obvious that Sarah thoroughly enjoys all that she does. She has found a way to balance work, family and art. Most importantly she has not lost her own silly sense of wonder at the world. She has let it color her work, and bring a smile to those she shares it with.

Visit all Sarah's Monsters at Monster in the Closet.

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