Louis Shaffer, also known as Shadow Rabbit Art, is a talented sculptor from Long Island, NY. He transforms clay and wax into awesome cartoon, comic, sci-fi, monster, and warrior characters. Shaffer shared his inspiration and creative process with LIB Magazine.
LIB: How did you get into sculpting and making figures?
Shaffer: I have been sculpting since I was a kid, really I have had a piece of clay in my pocket for as long as I can remember. When we were kids my parents would have clay and wax available to play with it’s really not much different than playdoh. I loved cartoons and comic characters and sci-fi dis when I had a piece of clay I would make the characters out of it I started making my own characters and monsters and warriors out of clay and realized the smaller I made them the more I could make. I eventually had armies. As I grew up making little things out of clay has always been something that makes me happy.
LIB: What is your creative process?
Shaffer: It depends on what I am making, if it is a commission I’ll try to get as much reference and stories about a piece to to make it feel right. But if it’s something for me, I just sculpt most when I feel happy. Really I just zone out and sculpt to be honest, sometimes I’m as surprised what’s made.
LIB: What’s your favorite convention that you displayed at/attended?
Shaffer: I really enjoy any convention that has me, it’s so much fun to get to sculpt for people in person and see them realize what I’m doing and get to have fun seeing balls of colored clay become something that’s recognizable.
LIB: What is your favorite piece that you’ve created and why?
Shaffer: I like all of them pretty much I’d say, the most recent one is always freshest but I have sculptures from childhood that are cool too. I like to make peoples ideas come to life, like someone’s character they invented or something special from their childhood that they want to make. That is the best, making something that you can’t get anywhere else out of the clay.
LIB: Where is your art displayed?
Shaffer: You can see my art online at www.ShadowRabbitArt.com and on Instagram @shadowrabbi_clay_guy. You can see my work in person at Industy Makers Gallery in Huntington Village, NY and at indie creators tables at conventions all over the USA.
LIB: What’s next for Shadow Rabbit Art?
Shaffer: I will be at conventions in the near future and my art is always popping up online. But for the moment, I continue to work in the shadows sculpting anything that is asked of me and hopefully bringing a bit of fun and wonder through my art to the world.
To get an original piece from Shadow Rabbit Art, email Louis at shadowrabbitart@gmail.com or DM him on Instagram @shadowrabbi_clay_guy.
