Adorable dragons? Wondering how art can heal and be therapeutic? Novastorm Designs talks about both in her interview below as well as how her art has not only been therapeutic but has helped to heal her through a horrible accident that left her unable to enjoy her art using a different medium.

After her eye-opening and wonderful interview, you’ll find a list of places you can find clay, clay canes, eyes, and other equipment for starting your own sculpting journey.

  By Michele of VAMICreations and Claire of NovaStrom Designs

How did you start Novastorm Designs?

I opened up an online store on Etsy back in May 2013, after being encouraged by those around me to sell my designs. Back then in its infancy, my artwork was only available as digital invitations.

What gave you the idea/inspiration?

In November 2012 I married my wonderful husband. Both being gamers & having met in the MMORPG World of Warcraft, we had a rather unique wedding theme...Dragons! 

Oh I do so love dragons. I designed all the art for our theme, from the invitations & place cards, to the cake topper & flying dragon centerpieces. My dragons were such a hit with our guests I was left with almost none by the end of the evening.

This encouraged me to open up a shop on Etsy & make my art & designs available to all.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi! My name is Claire and I'm obsessed with dragons. Wait... this isn't Dragon Addicts Anonymous? 

Okay so ignore that last part, there is no obsession with dragons going on here. No, seriously, what even is a dragon? Of course I don't have a dragon as a pet (shoos Nova away), that would be absurd! <Laughs nervously>

I’ve been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil & before that finger painting was all the rage. While I studied art & graphic design, I actually went on to study animal science for my chosen career, as I feared it would destroy my love of art if I felt like I was forced to do it everyday. While all these years later I can look back & realise I need not have been afraid, I do feel I needed those years of experience & personal growth to truly appreciate the skill set I have been given. I absolutely love what I do now.

 Aside from my passion for art, I’m a mother to an almost 13 year old son, who is just my world. He is such an honest, loving & kind soul with an imagination that is just as active as mine. He writes such lovely stories & would make a fantastic author one day. I couldn’t be prouder of the person he is growing into.

What does sculpting mean to you? Has it changed your life in any way?

When I think about what sculpting means to me I think of healing & rediscovery. It has & continues to have such an important impact on my life. It helped me find myself again at a time I felt so very lost.

In January 2017, I was involved in an accident that left lasting damage to my body & my soul. As a fibromyalgia sufferer, the constant pain of this plus my injuries, made it difficult for me to work on my art, something that has always brought me great joy. Many of the physical activities I did regularly became impossible as well & I became more distanced from social interactions as a result of these losses.

While my body went through a year's worth of physiotherapy & treatment, I turned to other art mediums to start healing my mind. I had only dabbled in clay sculpting here & there over the years, but never had the time to really get into it due to my other art projects.

Working with polymer clay has given me something else to focus on & help distract me from the everyday discomforts I endeavour to endure. Working the clay itself is also continuing to help strengthen & repair some of the damage to my right hand/arm. 

Almost 2 years on from the accident & my clay art has been such an important stage of my ongoing recovery. I decided I wanted to share my clay creations & my story with everyone in the hopes that they may brighten someone else’s day & perhaps encourage/inspire others to consider creative mediums to help them through distress, whether it be pain, depression, anxiety or just as a release at the end of a hard day . Art really is healing.

How long has Novastorm Designs been around?

I opened Novastorm Designs first on Etsy in May 2013. I'm quite shocked it's been almost 7 years already.

What is Novastorm Designs all about?

While being a platform to share my artwork, Novastorm Designs is all about encouraging creativity. 

As children we see the world through different eyes. Our imaginations are vivid & wild & we express that through stories, art & play. Yet as we grow older our worlds change & the harsh realities of life can often squash our imaginations. 

For this reason I created the NovaStorm Dragon, who is the mascot & official spokes dragon of Novastorm Designs. She is very special to me, she has her own story & is featured a lot in my artwork.

“Storm dragons & other storm creatures gain their power by feeding from all the creativity & imagination of people young & old. In return they strive to inspire & encourage these creative minds, particularly those they are assigned to through thoughts & dreams.

They use their abilities to maintain balance, battle against the nightmares of creative blocks, real world worries & influences that work to try & crush or hinder the wonders of an active imagination.” (Taken from my official website).

How do you choose the sculptures you create?

If I have a particular character idea in mind, I'll often sketch it out first so I have a clear idea of how I want it to look before bringing it to life in clay. 

However most of the time I open my box of clay & see what colours speak to me & as weird as it may sound, I let the clay decide what fantasy form it wants to take. It's one of the main reasons for my love of fantasy art, creative freedom. I'm not confined, the only limitation is my imagination.

What has inspired you to create different sculptures?

I draw inspiration from everywhere & everything. From dreams, a song, nature, a conversation with my son. All these factors fuel my overactive imagination.

New challenges also play a role. I love dragons but I also don’t like to feel confined to just one thing. I know I can make a variety of dragons but when you move onto other creatures it can be a little challenging. I encounter new hurdles & overcoming these helps me to improve with each & every sculpture. I still have so much to learn.

What is your favorite type of dragon to create?

Oooh this is a tough one! Hmm. In this particular medium I would have to say right now, I love sculpting aquatic dragons. 

I seem to have subconsciously had a very water based theme to the start of this year, in many of the mediums I use. I’m really enjoying experimenting with different ways to create the armature (underlying skeletal structure), for their long, serpentine bodies & varying aquatic details.

Outside of sculpting however, if I say anything other than the NovaStorm Dragon, she will get very cross with me. She’s always watching… ☺.

The western dragon style is definitely my overall favourite & usual go to.

What would you tell a new sculptor for encouragement?

Go into it as a fun new creative adventure. If your first pieces don’t exactly meet your expectations, don’t give up. Each time you sculpt you will learn something new & improve. 

Try out different clays, you will be surprised at how different they can be. Find one that suits you. 

Don’t confine yourself & feel like you need to find your style right away, this will happen organically as your skills grow. 

Most importantly, have fun. All artwork is best when you enjoy what you do & people will see the love & care that has gone into it.

What is something you are passionate about and why?

Aside from dragons & art, I absolutely love to ride (both horses & bicycles), & being surrounded by nature. While I draw inspiration from everywhere, nature plays a big part in my creation process. I often find going out for a walk or ride in the forest helps to bring me clarity if I’m having trouble deciding on what direction to take a piece or what project to focus on next. 

Riding combines my love of nature & horses. After the accident I had to give up riding for almost 2 years along with many other activities I loved. Thankfully with the help of physiotherapy & some amazingly special RDA ponies, I’ve been able to start to learn to ride again with my remaining injuries & overcome the challenges from the disabilities my body now has. 

Animals are amazing & seeing my equine friends never fails to put a smile on my face no matter how much pain I’m in or how bad a day/ week I’m having.

If you had one (or several) things to share with a woman entrepreneur, what would it be? What would you encourage them about?

Be yourself. 

I have had the pleasure of working with some truly wonderful people from all over the world & have found that people are more likely to come back to you when they can relate to you as a real person. Be professional but let who you are show through.

Don’t give up.

Starting out is not easy, especially if it’s just you. Expect to feel discouraged & question yourself but DON’T give up on your dreams. I always think of this quote by Ella Jane Flitzgerald (1917-1996)

“Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there's love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.” 

What is a lesson learned for being a woman entrepreneur that you wish someone had told you when you first started?

Don’t restrict yourself & put all your eggs in one basket. Do lots of research into the different platforms that are available to you reach as many audiences as possible. Don’t underestimate the power of social media, it’s the key to everything.

The more you are seen the more you will succeed. 

What is your dream for Novastorm Designs to be (where do you see Novastorm Designs in 5+ years)?

 I just want to be able to continue what I love to do & share my art. I hope my story encourages & inspires others to not give up & try any art medium as a form of therapy. I hope the story of my storm dragon encourages others to not let the world destroy their imagination & creative ideas. Holding onto a bit of whimsy is a good thing & can help us through the trials of life.

Is there anything you would like to talk about that we did not ask about? 

Though I’ve very much covered this in many of the questions above, I just wanted to tie in everything nicely & explain what specifically drew me to fantasy art.

These days everything seems to need to fall into some form of box or searchable term.  To me the idea of applying this concept to art was amusing, especially when I think back to one of my favourite artists Salvador Dali, a famous Spanish artist best known for his surrealist work.

Art is a creative expression, a release of imagination in physical, digital or audible form. It doesn’t follow the confines of the world & our everyday lives.

Surrealism sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind & I’ve been drawn to that ideal since I was a child. That & fantasy, which goes to perhaps explain my draw to dragons & other mythical creatures. When I draw a dragon, I know I won't need to follow any rules. It’s entirely at the mercy of my own imagination.

Art is whatever we want it to be. A thought, a feeling, an experience, a release. The only true limitation an individual has is entirely their own imagination. Don’t let your imagination be confined by what is or should be. Let your imagination run free.

If you like this, you may like:

• The Ultimate List of Dragon Sculptors

• Sculpting a Dragon Step-by-Step Tutorial

• Bluprint Review

Knowing that now is becoming a time when we need to not only support small businesses but do it by purchasing online to have delivered to us, I’ve organized a list of places you can find clay, clay canes (knowing how detailed some of these are and hard to make as well as very time consuming), eyes for sculptures, and sculpting equipment. If you have other places you recommend that are specifically good for online selling and delivery, please send an email to me (vamicreations17@gmail.com) or comment below. I am currently creating an extensive list that will be posted later this month and I will link it here. :)

Thank you and let’s show our small businesses support during this time as each purchase goes to support a family, especially during this time we need to come together as a community. I for one am very thankful to you, my reader, for taking the time to read my website and purchase using our links. Each time your visit our page and buy using one of our affiliate links, you support a small business who seeks to help other small businesses grow. :)