Kat
I am so excited to bring an exclusive chat with Cassia Harries in anticipation of her upcoming participation in Stranger Factory‘s In Shadows group show opening on November 6th, 2015! This show is extra special as it’s Cassia’s first major gallery showing (yay!). In addition to the chat, you will also get to see TTC exclusive peeks of her Dr. Gris figure here as well!
This will be Stranger Factory’s second to last show of the year and is highly anticipated! We are seriously very lucky here at TTC to have this chance to speak to Cassia – so without further ado, let’s get this conversation started!
TTC: What inspired the direction and sculpts for your upcoming show with Stranger Factory?
Cassia: These are all characters in a story that I’ve been developing called Darkskies. Gargoyle creatures inhabit the world. Volcanoes erupt all around the world, covering everything in ash and soot, filling the days and nights with dark skies. Restless, they fight the volcanic ash creatures (like the Shadowlings) that emerge from cracks and to return them back from which they came to restore the balance and regain their world.
This is a red tipped Shadowling – but he is not the only one out there!
Dr.Gris:
Despite his tough day-job fighting shadowling outbreaks and fighting plagues, he finds pleasures in the simple things. When he is not creating remedies and elixirs, he likes to sit down with a good book and venture off into a new world while enjoying a nice glass of whiskey. He’s a private fellow, no one’s ever seen him without his mask- but he sure knows how to crack a good joke to lighten up the darkest moment.
Exclusive first look at Dr. Gris!!
TTC: What do you hope that someone will experience and take away when they gaze upon Dr. Gris, or any of the pieces from your show?
Cassia: I hope that people will feel curious and that their imaginations are sparked wondering what each characters story is and about the world they live in. I try my best to create each character with their own unique personality and specializations.
TTC: After the amazing success of your Baby Cthulhu Kickstarter, do you have plans to launch another Kickstarter, and if so, what ideas would you want to pursue?
Cassia: Kickstarter project was a lot of fun and also was a lot of work, but is not out of the realm of possibility.
TTC: How do you balance your creative day job and your personal passions? Do the two worlds ever collide in design or are they completely separate?
Cassia: My work life and creative life balance has been a challenge. In the last past two years straight, I’ve been working hard designing, sculpting and painting every night after work and on weekends. It’s been challenging but the passion I have for sculpting and creating gives me the drive to continue. I am really looking forward to relaxing a bit after the gallery. 🙂
I wish I could see Sprocket the jackalope and Scrap the robot in person at the show, so adorable and detailed!
TTC: Are there any artists that you have loved working with and/or have inspired your artistic direction?
Cassia: There are many artists that have inspired me throughout my life. When growing up, artists like Chuck Jones, Jim Henson and Stan Winston. It wasn’t until five years ago that I was interested and inspired to get involved in the “toy art” world. Artists like Kathie Olivias, Brandt Peters, Chris Ryniak, Amanda Louise Spayd, Tim Lee and Miss Monster have really inspired me. I’m really excited to be working with Stranger Factory for my big first gallery, “In Shadows”.
Work in progress Sir Wellington
TTC: What’s next after your show? Any teasers of work in progress or events you may attend (like DCon??).
Cassia: I have a couple fun projects that I like to realize. 😉
Thank you again so much, Cassia, for speaking with us and sharing your inspirations and plans! Looking forward to the rest of the show being revealed, it looks wonderful! Congratulations on your major gallery showing!
For more about Cassia, visit her site and follow her Instagram.
For more information about the show, follow Stranger Factory’s Instagram, where reveals and details have been steadily provided!
Special thank you to a friend who provided the right opportunity to meet Cassia =)
Images from Cassia Harries.
