Telling stories: Misery evolves

When I first started drawing Misery, I mounted the original paper drawings with nails to wooden plaques that I dry brushed black. The overall effect was dirty, imperfect, handmade - exactly as I hoped. This was a truly rare phenomenon! Nothing ever comes out they way it looks in my head. But, right from the get go, Misery was different.

I didn't really have a plan for Misery, but I knew I wanted to show her expressing different emotions. So, Anger, Forgive, Bad Surprise and Happy Surprise came to be. I started working on a couple other emotions when the shooting at Pulse nightclub, here in Orlando, happened. I used to hang out there. I used to live near the club. Even now, I only live a few miles away. I was devestated. The very next day, at localARTicles boutique in Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, I created my Pulse piece. It was the best way that I knew to express how I was feeling.

After the "Orlando Strong" piece, I realized that I wanted more text in my work. I wanted to tell Misery's story. And, in doing so, tell a little moral fable - always with a happy ending. To me, Misery is the ultimate misfit - totally innocent while still looking a little creepy. Because, let's face it, dolls ARE creepy. So, I had my first story. An origin story for Misery and Little Bear. It still took a little while for the book idea to come. I had 2 story ideas, but that was about it. And I was really just doing it for me. I just love the sketchy, sepia tone of it. I love creating her. It didn't occur to me that it could be a book...not yet, at least...

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