Description
‘Grow Your Joy’ by Melissa Sue Stanley
Artist: Melissa Sue Stanley
Title: ‘Grow Your Joy’
Medium: Clay, watercolour, glass, and acrylic
Dimensions: 7″ x 4.5″ x 4.5″
Framing: N/A
Year of Creation: 2025
Artwork Will Ship From: USA
About the Artwork:
At a glance, this Woolbeast is very much a self-portrait. I’m an enthusiastic houseplant collector; most windows in my home are blocked by the dense foliage of my collection. Still – there’s always room for one more! This beast clearly has too many plants – but what’s one more sproutling? It’ll fit perfectly around here somewhere…
On a deeper level, this sculpture is part of a larger series I’ve been working on that explores simple tasks as illustrations of community and personal growth. This beast is using their time to nurture joy – both for themselves, and to share with the world. It’s about giving your energy to help ideas bloom, and to connect with and encourage what brings help and happiness to yourself and the folks in your life. – Melissa Sue Stanley
About the Artist:
(Artist Bio)
I’m an illustrator and sculptor from northern Illinois. Vibrant midwestern summers are the heart of what inspires my work: green boughs tossing in the winds of a cerulean sky, glowing dandelions, and the song of dark cicadas. My watercolors explore open fields and deep forests, looking for the hidden moments of small magic and mystery. The paths we travel may be bright and rolling, or dark and tangled; through my work I try to create a place of rest for travelers through the wild landscape of modern life.
My storytelling project, Grisella’s Woolbeast Wayguide, discovers the denizens of these worlds. I have been creating the Woolbeasts for 15 years; they are collected in homes all over the world and have been shown in galleries around the world.