Hey there kids! You like it spooky? You like it kooky? Please take a moment for this Halloween treat as we talk with Michael Adams of the awesomely creepy CROOKED SMILE CLAYWORK! Michael is a mixed media artist out of Massachusetts, who specializes in the quirky and bizarre.
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MAD: First off, I love your weird, wacky and whimsical works. Your style is definitely eye-catching, creepy, and imaginative. Perhaps a generic first question to ask, but how did you first become involved in working with clay sculptures, and would you care to share any insight as to how your ideas come about?
Crooked Smile Claywork: Thank you so much! Well, I have always been an artist of some sort ever since I was a kid. Mostly doodles and small paintings, followed by some tattoo style inspired illustrations, and then I got really into pottery in high school. Fast forward to the start of the Covid lockdowns I was single and living alone and so I wanted to experiment with a different material to have something to focus on and pass the time with. That’s when I discovered polymer clay! I have always been intrigued by things that make the average person go “Ew!” and I’ve got a bit of an obsession with weird things with teeth so I put two and two together and so was birthed “Crooked Smile Claywork!” A lot of my ideas probably stem from weird animation that was on MTV back in the 90’s during my teen years.
MAD: You’ve got so many cool pieces, it’s hard to pick just one. Do you have a favorite piece which you’ve produced, or a favorite theme to work with?
Crooked Smile Claywork: Hmmmm, that’s a tough one! I’d say some of my favorites are the fleshy game controllers and then I did a series of plush stuffed animals with weird faces that I really enjoyed making! As far as a favorite theme I’d say anything that makes people say, “What the f***?!”
MAD: Who/what are some of your personal artistic inspirations? Is there a fellow artist out there you’d like to give a shout out to?
Crooked Smile Claywork: Oh absolutely! I’d say my biggest inspiration is a creator named @thats.vile who was also a huge help to me when I first got into working with polymer clay. Thank you Jason for all the tips and tricks! Other inspirations and some personal favorites of mine are @wtfpots @clayforbrains @clayperday @moonjugofficial @ohiggins_art and too many more to name!
MAD: Are you a fan of horror movies or books? If so, what are a few of your favorite films, books, or authors?
Crooked Smile Claywork: You bet! The only horror book I’ve read is The Shining, which was great, but as far as movies I’m big into the “B” horror flicks! Evil Ed, Dead Alive, Evil Dead, Re-Animator, and others of that sort are some of my favorites!
MAD: Do you have any advice or suggestions for independent artists who are trying to follow their creative goals and passions?
Crooked Smile Claywork: My advice to aspiring independent artists would be to not limit yourself to one medium! My father who is also an artist says that to me often. Experiment! I never thought that I’d find a passion for oven baked clay, and here I am!
MAD: Do you have an artistic vision or goal which you still hope to achieve in the medium of clay?
Crooked Smile Claywork: I’d like to try my hand at some much larger pieces than I normally do. The issue I face is finding an oven that is much larger than the conventional oven that I’d be able to bake them in. I may experiment with doing some smaller pieces that “assemble” into a larger piece in some sort of way. I’m still brainstorming on how I could do it so we’ll see! I’d also like to get more into molding/casting. Who knows what the future may hold!
MAD: Are there any upcoming events or holiday sales coming up which you’d like to share with us today?
Crooked Smile Claywork: I usually do a limited series of “Holiday Horror Cookie” Christmas tree ornaments every year which I’ll be starting soon!
MAD: Michael, thanks so much for taking some time with us today! In close, what is your favorite quote or song lyric of all time?
Crooked Smile Claywork: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh
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Michael Adams is a mixed media artist and creator of CROOKED SMILE CLAYWORK.
Michael A. Dyer is the host of the HORROR TO CULTURE podcast and website.
