Figurines

Sculpture by Skip Dyrda

A small community of figurines that began as a whim and grew into a full‑blown cast of characters. These gnomes—and the occasional non‑gnome who sneaks in—are sculpted from plastic clay, fired at 275 degrees, and finished with hand‑painted details. Most stand just three inches tall, but each one carries its own personality: gardeners, artists, readers, golfers, kids with oversized backpacks, even the odd adventurer with tools or books made from found objects or custom‑built props. What started nearly three years ago has become a collection of about 145 unique figures, many of them commissions created to match someone’s hobby, job, or sense of humor. They’re small, expressive, and endlessly customizable.

The Gnomes of Arboreal

This was a commission for a couple in Great Britain. He a retired architect and she was an art teacher and is a talented baker.

Here you see some of the gnome children from the Kingdom of Arboreal, dressed and ready for Halloween, which they call Shadowfest.

The librarian, re-organizing her books.

This was a gift I created for a dear friend who is either an occupational therapist or a physical therapist. As you can see, she has her favorite adjustment tool ready to go.

Another commission, this for a Rabbi in Ohio. Here is seen lighting his Shabbat candles and has his Challah ready to go.

This is one of several that I made for Valentine’s Day.

Another commissioned piece made for a Philadelphia Eagles fan.

The artist. This is one of many artist inspired figurines that I’ve created.

Peace, Dude! My ‘flower power’ gnome, ready to rock.

This is called Driftwood Dreams. I took an old piece of driftwood and wired it for LED lights. I made the mushrooms and the gnomes, of course. Powered by a couple AA batteries.

A graceful ballerina coaxed from a stubborn stainless steel fork, finished with a simple chain.

Here’s a couple photos of gnomes in progress. They all start out with a light colored synthetic clay, carefully sculpted and pieced together. It then gets fired. Once cooled, I then paint everything.

And here is how I ship the gnomes. They arrive packed in their own gift box, along with a certificate of authenticity.

For any of the gnomes I create, I can also include a story, written by myself. The story can be about the gnome and his or her occupation in the Kingdom of Arboreal, or, if it’s a commission, the story can be personalized.