These are the adorable imaginings of whimsical sculptor Maikki, A.K.A. Mai Darling Designs. She describes herself as the ‘maker of royal critters and other whimsical beasts.’ Handmade one at a time from polymer clay, all her charming pieces are hand-painted and completely unique. I love her perspective on buying art:
“When buying from an artist/maker, you’re buying more than an object. You are buying hundreds of hours of failures and experimentation. You are buying days, weeks, & moths of frustration and moments of pure joy. You aren’t just buying a thing, you’re buying a piece of heart, part of a soul, a moment of someone’s life. Most importantly, you’re buying the artist more time to do something they are passionate about.”
-Maikki
Though adorable, her tiny creatures also manage to seem confident and a little regal, like they know they’re made exactly right. I am especially drawn to her paint treatments; many of her creations are painted with oceanic or celestial themes, lending them an element of timelessness and magic, like they just stepped out of some obscure fairy tale.
You can see all of the adorable creatures by Mai Darling Designs on Maikki’s website and Instagram, and you can support the artist on Patreon.
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February 4, 2020 at 8:08 am
I am happy that I don’t have to pick just one. I love alll of them! — Smiles all day today thanks Donna again. Hal
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February 4, 2020 at 11:34 am
They are very cheerful little things!
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February 4, 2020 at 8:52 am
How cute can you get? I love the first bird and the manatee but they are all just too cute.
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February 4, 2020 at 11:35 am
I love how dreamy the painting makes them. I may need to add one to my collection if I can choose…
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February 4, 2020 at 4:34 pm
These are precious. I could own a whole menagerie of them. I especially love that long snooted one that’s rich blue and gold. And the manatee. And the bird. They look like ceramic so it is hard to believe they are polymer clay.
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February 4, 2020 at 4:36 pm
You’re right. They look expensive somehow.
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February 4, 2020 at 4:50 pm
So sweet!!!
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February 4, 2020 at 5:32 pm
They certainly are!
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February 5, 2020 at 12:01 am
I couldn’t see any images but the first one—I think viewing on my phone limits what I can see. But I wanted to comment on a phrase that made me chuckle. A little typo “moths of frustration” had me picturing angry faces on tiny white-winged creatures. I wish I could draw the picture in my mind. Thank you for the humorous wordplay, though I suspect it was unintentional!
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February 5, 2020 at 12:49 am
That’s frustrating. Sometimes, I can’t see embedded Instagram photos on my phone, but I thought they would always work on a computer. Anyway, check them out here: https://maidarlingdesigns.com/
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February 11, 2020 at 2:36 pm
On my computer, I had no problem. My phone just has issues. I blame the fact it is a piece of crap iPhone 6. They were obsolete out of the box.
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February 12, 2020 at 12:00 am
I loved my iPhone 6. It drowned. When I replaced it with an 8, I ended up liking it better.
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February 8, 2020 at 7:38 pm
I love those ghosties!
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February 8, 2020 at 9:25 pm
They really are adorable!
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