CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The month of October is right around the corner, which of course means all things spooky and for these local artists, they do something extremely unique, especially during the Halloween season.
What started out as an idea that bloomed after seeing Mardi Gras, turned into a mission of sharing their creations all over the United States. Creatures of the Night Studios is a group of local artists who specialize in making large-scale paper-mâché masks.
The group travels everywhere to places like New Orleans, California, Georgia, and much more.
“It’s cool seeing other people at conventions who do similar art that we do and just making connections and growing the conventions larger and just making best friends with people,” said artist AJ Orman.
The team each uses their individual strengths to bring characters to life. Allexus Kelley is the seamstress but also helps out with sculpting and painting. Right now, they have 35 masks in the studio. Though Kelley says it’s more than just a studio, it’s a creative zone.
“It’s kind of our hang out zone when we need a break and then it’s also where we try to build all of these. we have slits that we have to work on, so that’s woodworking, and then we have to sculpt and all of that stuff so, it’s just where we can make all of these, where we can house them, and where we can relax and hang with friends and stuff,” said Kelly.
The group says they constantly challenge themselves and get their inspiration from different movies and shows. Each mask is sculpted and hand painted by Phoenix Kelley, where the painting can take anywhere from two to three weeks.
“This is just the base of what we build off of and then I will draw on it to give myself a rough outline of where to go from there and then we go to this stage which is the building up with aluminum foil and masking tape and this is the most stressful process,” said Kelley.
Measurements must be exact. It’s tedious, but it ensures the mask fits just right. This is where AJ Orman comes in.
“We have the same measurements for each head for all over the armatures, so, they turn out the same every time,” said Orman.
Creatures of the Night Studios have even had the opportunity to meet some of the people the characters are created after. They have met singers from movies, actors, and lot more. This one-of-a-kind studio has also been featured in magazines, and they say they hope to one day, display their work in museum where people from all over can witness their unique creations.
This studio says their families, friends, and other artists, such as Damien Miller, and many more help to make these creations possible. To learn more about Creatures of the Night Studios, visit them on Facebook and Instagram.
