16 Sep 2017 Unique ‘monsters’ evolve into book
by Susan Peterson
October is the month for goblins and ghouls, but the monsters that 501 resident Chris Massingill creates aren’t scary at all – in fact, they’re downright cute and cuddly with plenty of personality.
Her monsters, which she individually fashions and hand stitches from socks, are unique works of art. They are adorned with feathers, bright-colored clothing, single or multiple eyes, lots of buttons and other monster bling. And now they are the stars of their own book that came out in July – “Sock Monster Problems – Sock monsters with not-so-serious problems,” available at Amazon and sockmonsterproblems.com.
The book is a compact, 7-inch square with 42 pages that feature photos of monsters with brief explanations of their problems, struggles or dreams. Often, there is a humorous pun related to the monster’s appearance or name. For example, there’s Jack, who works to raise awareness about laundry sorting after what has become known as the Christmas sock incident. Also, Sock Monster Justin (a white rat) worries that others who work in the lab might discover the truth about him…that he is lactose intolerant.
Chris creates her monsters, pottery and other artwork in her aptly-named Tiny, Tiny Studio in Little Rock. She made her first monsters in 2005 and turned them into comics for her son, Lucas. She started writing individual stories in 2012, when demonstrating some techniques to make soft sculptures to her students.
She found that she loved putting a story to her monsters to help them come alive and got great feedback when she posted her photos and text online. The photos evolved into Sock Monster note cards that she sold at craft fairs and other events. The next step seemed obvious – assemble the stories into a book.
The Sock Monster web page has step-by-step directions to make a simple rabbit out of socks. There is also a map spanning the globe that shows where her monsters have found homes. They are now residing in Boston, Miami, Washington, D.C., and even Afghanistan, London, Japan and Paris!
Chris calls herself a “teaching artist” – but the person she most enjoys teaching seems to be herself. “One of my favorite things about teaching is learning about new materials and techniques that push me in new directions.” Her sock monsters are a great example of that philosophy since they seem to be taking on a life of their own. From one sock monster, she has intertwined her skills in creative writing, photography and online marketing to develop a unique and fun brand that now includes a book, note cards, bags, mugs and even home decor. A coloring book is also in the works.
Chris graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in art with an emphasis in ceramics. She has taught art since 2005 and currently teaches at Jacksonville High School.
She also gives private lessons and conducts workshops.
Her work is currently available on Etsy, the Arkansas Craft Guild and at several Central Arkansas gift shops. Chris is a frequent vendor at craft fairs, and she will have a one-person show coming up at Mugs coffee shop in Argenta in January and February.
