About the Artist
My name is Claire Cortese, and I’m the hands behind these little creatures.
My life has always been centralized at the axis of art and writing.
I started sculpting with polymer clay when I was six-years-old, and my parent’s house is still filled with the hundreds of little creatures I created in my early years.
I received my Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in English and Photography from the University of New Hampshire. After my undergrad studies, I moved across the pond to get my master’s in poetry writing from Durham University in England.
After exploring a whole host of different career paths, including wedding photography, scriptwriting, and marketing, I finally found my way back to polymer clay, and am now a full-time artist devoting my heart and soul to hand-making each and every piece.
Crafting stories has always been a big part of my life, so it only felt natural that each creature I create should have a story of their own to help bring them to life. Weaving folklore into their backgrounds largely originated from my partiality for the weight of literary symbols, but it also helps that New England is rich with lore, and as a local, the love for folklore runs in my blood.
The Secret Salamander
To me, terrestrial salamanders have always felt like the most elusive and magical of forest creatures. Growing up in New Hampshire, so much of my childhood was spent wandering through the forest, turning over damp logs to look for their bright orange bodies. Each time I found one, it felt like I had uncovered something from a realm of magic - a secret that the forest had kept well-hidden.
This is the feeling of wonder and delight I seek to create with every creature I sculpt. To bring that quiet forest magic into your homes; whether they live on your bookshelf, your desk, your windowsill, or in any cozy corner of your home, I hope each time you pass a glance over them, you’re ignited with that same sense of bright curiosity and enchantment.