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 I was recently searching for obscure and rare beauties on Etsy.com, when I came across the brilliant work of Kookie, the creator of www.MonsterKookies.com. I was quickly won over by the Red Anatomically Correct Human Heart, which according to Kookie follows her mandate of creating “delicious little anatomical candy treats”.
I could barely await its arrival. When it finally came in, I was amazed at its size, brightness and accuracy, so much so that it only made sense to contact the creator. I, being artistically handicapped, couldn’t imagine how someone could create something so magnificent. Various times I had seen such marvels off DeviantArt, which is coincidentally where Kookie first discovered polymer clay:
“I have been playing around with [polymer clay] off and on for about 6 years. It wasn’t until I saw a lot of artists on the site using polymer clay about 2 or 3 years ago and it interested me because that was one medium I had never really dabbled in before”.
However, what made me happier than anything was knowing that I was not the only person in the world that adored the grotesque. Kookie’s ability to combine the freaky with the cute was what separated her from everyone else who I have seen play with polymer clay. And Kookie agrees: “everybody seemed to be making cupcakes and donuts. I love making those things and all, but there isn't much you can do to make your stuff stand apart from the rest when everyone is doing the same thing, except for doing it better”. It’s the ability to add one’s “own flare” as she put it.
Kookie adores the slightly deviant side of life. She is
“really into horror and gore and all things odd and strange", so it seemed appropriate for her to create such freaky products. Furthermore, her art appeals to a larger mass of people. She has really expanded her work and although she will only make things that reflect herself, Kookie is a oxymoron in herself, a combination of everything cute and bright, naughty and vile. She even manages to attach a social commentary to her adorable anti-anxiety and anti-depression cupcakes which I found to be quite an interesting idea.
“Medications like anti-depressants and such are over-described and everyone seems to be on something like that nowadays," muses Kookie. "I made a joke that someday we'll be able to go to the bulk bins in grocery stores and pick up as much medication as we want and eat it like candy. The pills on these cupcakes are symbolic of that - like the screwed up future replacement for sprinkles. So far I have done Prozac (Cupcake of Simulated Happiness) and Effexor (Anti-Anxiety Cupcake) - two of the most common anti-depressants / anti-anxiety medications, but I want to add a few more to that collection."
Although it’s a shame the amount of people that are affected by depression and anxiety, Kookie does manage to make a good point, one that cannot be attributed to some of her favourite polymer clay artists. Kookie strays from her predecessors by creating what is refered to as steampunk accessories.
Everything from her Mechanic Birdies, Antique Brass Hearts can all be considered steampunk, and adhere to the look of industrial gears and metals, silver and gold colors. She “gets to play with all sorts of tiny metal findings, electronic components and gears” which adds the unique nature of each piece. Kookies also finds that these are her favorite items to make.
“It requires a lot of attention to detail, and I find the whole panelling and riveting thing into clay is very therapeutic or something like that," she explained, laughing. It's relaxing, which is why I love making it”.
But it’s polymer clay itself that she adores because of “its consistency, firmness, colour, and versatility”. She loves her anatomically correct heart, as well as the industrial spring loaded heart but cannot forget to mention her adorable One-Eyed Space Elephant, the Waddle Doo, or the Cupcakes of Simulated Happiness. Lucky for her, the polymer clay that she loves has also become a full time job that she adores.
Kookie does have a culinary degree but the restaurant industry has never really suited her. She does has ambition to start an etsy shop dedicated to organic tea blends but as far as her MonsterKookie creations, she is not thinking of anything huge. Till then, her friends are lucky to have her make them dinners but everyone still agrees that her “love of food shines through [her] clay”.
Expansion has never really been first on Kookie’s list, but she was proud of getting both her industrial hearts and anatomically correct hearts in the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “I'm really happy about that because it's a really freaky museum filled with strange things like old medical instruments, skulls, wax bodies, specimens in jars, Siamese twins, and all sorts of other weird awesome stuff. It's right up my alley”, says Kookie happily.
Kookie has come a long way, from making delicious looking donuts to amazingly accurate hearts. I strongly advise anyone that has a slightly different or even a adorable side to visit her website (www.monsterkookies.com) as well as her etsy store (www.etsy.com/shop/monsterkookies). It is a surprise to see how amazing the items look in reality as I feel the pictures do not do the product justice. Regardless, I am happy to know that I am not the only one to find the grotesque to be cute when properly crafted.
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