Derek Brown’s sculpture is all about fun.
The Palmyra resident started making quirky clay figures because he wasn’t having fun at his day job. He wants people to see his pieces and think, “That’s fun.” And if he stops having fun making the tchotchkes, he’ll give it up.
“Basically, I hated my job so much—being a mechanic—I needed something sort of comedic or less serious when I got off work,” he says.
Brown and his girlfriend got into clay together, learning to fashion figures on the fly. They made whatever came to mind. For Brown, it was odd, moody little cartoons, offbeat animals, various chonkies, cutesy utensils, and a dervish of devils and demons.
He stuck with it. He started in polymer clay and improved quickly. He branched into other materials. He finished and painted some pieces he was proud of. He put them on his shelves. Friends saw them and laughed. The art started conversations, and maybe an argument or two. The friends commissioned a few pieces—like two clay cat toppers for a couples’ wedding cake.
Everyone was having fun.
Brown launched Strange Clay Creations to try his hand at selling his sculptures. So far, that’s been a good time as well, with some reservations. He has an Etsy store—though the logistics are a drag—and he’s done an art fair—though the high demand left him spent and lacking inspiration. The best outlet, he says, has been through C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery, where he’s also been inspired by the other creatives in residence.
Some people don’t get Brown’s work. “What’s the point?” the killjoys ask. “For you, they do nothing,” Brown quips. But he’s made some practical pieces—ornaments and magnets and the like.
Brown started Strange Clay Creations with no formal art training, but working on his own motorcycles over the years likely helped him hone his handiwork. And he’s always been creative by nature.
“Maybe ’90s Nickelodeon TV warped my brain—growing up with those strange cartoons like ‘Ren & Stimpy’ and ‘Rocko’s Modern Life,’” he says. “I never cared about school as much as art and music.”
Fortunately for his psyche, Brown’s moved on from his job as a professional mechanic. His new gig as a media producer isn’t a bummer, but he’s not ready to give up what’s become his after-work outlet.
“I’ve been at it for three to four years, and the first one looked like a 2-year-old did it,” Brown says. “Now it’s definitely more refined and polished, and I like where it’s going.
As long as I like making them and seeing other people’s reactions, that’s enough.”