The Craft 6-3-2022

I remember way back in the 70’s hanging out with some of my now famous and infamous friends of makeup effects. We were so happy to be making monsters, aliens, and creatures. We studied Dick Smith, John Chambers, and even became friends with these amazing people later on. We read Famous monsters of filmland. We were inspired. I remember well we all vowed never to stop doing this work until we dropped.

As I stood in my studio for 5 hours straight making this Talosian mold that memory ran through my mind.

Nearly 50 years later here I am making monsters, aliens, and creatures. So far I kept to that pledge.

I find making large two piece full head molds a bit harder to do today but doable nonetheless. And it’s always the same. “What’s next”.

That is how art works. And if you are truly an artist, that passion to do the next piece never dies. I feel like a lone beacon of strength sometimes but some of those people are still here and still doing the craft. Ve Neill and Rick Baker are still creating art and that’s good. Ve is teaching and passing the craft to the future. Rick is doing beautiful paintings and sculpture. Knowing these things makes me feel happy and well. Never give up your passion. The world needs it.

The mold of the Talosian opens today and I’ll clean it out. Next week I’ll pour the first 3 and paint them up. And yes, what is next? How nice to dream and wonder. What a gift.