These were two of the last pieces I did in polymer clay. In fact, I was transitioning to using epoxy resins during the process of sculpting these, so I sculpted the bases and accessories out of resin.

There’s an elegance to the character designs that I wanted to capture. They convey real solidity and heft, which is rarer than most people realize in animation because it’s a challenge to achieve that part of the illusion of reality. Picking the right poses was a challenge because these two aren’t the most dynamic characters in the film, and I generally dislike static poses. Capturing bodies that are moving, and having those movements reveal something about their nature, is what fascinates me most about figural sculpture. A particular gesture can be as identifying as a person’s signature. We each move in unique ways, and certain characters have very recognizable silhouettes—Superman’s confident pose versus Spider-man’s arachnid contortions. But when you’re dealing with a little halfling who most enjoys eating or smoking his pipe and an ancient wizard, who though a capable fighter, is usually depicted just walking around and talking, you have your work cut out for you if you want them to be visually exciting but still recognizable and true to the characters and how the audience perceives them.