Polymer Clay Art by Mandy Houston

Polymer Clay Art by Mandy Houston I'm a polymer clay artist from New Hampshire (USA). Every piece created is hand sculpted, painted, and truly one of a kind.

After such a long hiatus it feels good to be sculpting again! Over the course of the last week I've been busy making the...
08/08/2026

After such a long hiatus it feels good to be sculpting again! Over the course of the last week I've been busy making these Humpback Whale sculptures. I'm very much obsessed with whales and they are my absolute favorite thing to sculpt although, I must admit that I was feeling quite rusty creating these!

I want to make it clear that I hand sculpt each and every piece by hand. That includes the base as well as the whale. No molds are used at all. I also hand paint them. They are all truly one of a kind which in my opinion makes them so much more special!

These pieces are sold, but if you're interested keep your eyes peeled because I'll be offering some for sale here in the very near future! :)

I'm always so hesitant to share my first attempts at new projects. They're always so rough around the edges as I learn h...
07/27/2026

I'm always so hesitant to share my first attempts at new projects. They're always so rough around the edges as I learn how to shape the different features and how to smooth out all of the clay, but it'll be interesting to see the progression.

My newest obsession lately is highland cows. I recently started following a farm which breeds them and I've not only learned a lot about them I've also really become very fascinated with them. I decided to attempt making a little calf today. This is his head, which is still unfinished and needs some texturing and smoothing. Still a decent start considering it's my first ever! I hope you like it, too!

I still have a few older pieces I'll be sharing soon as well. Life has been a little crazy the last couple of weeks but finally slowing down some. :)

Working on a newer subject today... Gnomes!
07/16/2026

Working on a newer subject today... Gnomes!

Something a little bit different. Along with whales, I have a very strong love for turtles. I'm one of those people who ...
07/15/2026

Something a little bit different. Along with whales, I have a very strong love for turtles. I'm one of those people who will brake for turtles crossing the road. I remember one time there was a quite large snapping turtle right in the middle of the street. My mother was driving at the time, but she saw it at the same time as I did and she pulled over so I could run back down the road to help it across. I remember feeling sad that so many cars were just driving by it. Nobody, until we came along, were willing to help it. I felt so bad for the poor thing, but was happy to be in the right place to help it out. I was a little hesitant because it was on the larger side, but after just a little bit of hissing it calmed down as I walked it the rest of the way across the road. I left with all of my fingers and it left with its life. Mission successful!

Anyway, this obviously isn't a snapping turtle, but sea turtles are just as awesome. This was my first attempt... a little hatchling.

This was my first attempt at making a mother and calf pair. The calf was the first time I'd ever made one so small and i...
07/13/2026

This was my first attempt at making a mother and calf pair. The calf was the first time I'd ever made one so small and it was a challenge for me. I've since made many, many smaller whales so I'd like to have another go with making a mom and calf. Maybe for one of my newer pieces!

Another one of my earlier pieces. For anyone unfamiliar with polymer clay, it has to be baked to cure and harden. These ...
07/11/2026

Another one of my earlier pieces. For anyone unfamiliar with polymer clay, it has to be baked to cure and harden. These photos show the pre-bake part as well as the finished product. Painting is definitely not my thing and it never has been, but I have since found a way around that. I'll share more on that in a future post.

This was the first Humpback Whale that I sculpted. I really wish I marked the date on the bottom, but sadly I didn't. I ...
07/11/2026

This was the first Humpback Whale that I sculpted. I really wish I marked the date on the bottom, but sadly I didn't. I do still have this one and looking back now, I'm not crazy about the base but as a first attempt overall, I was pleased with the outcome!

Hi everyone! I thought my first post should be a bit of an intro. My name is Mandy (obviously) and I'm from New Hampshir...
07/10/2026

Hi everyone! I thought my first post should be a bit of an intro. My name is Mandy (obviously) and I'm from New Hampshire (USA). I've been working with clay for somewhere around 25-30 years, but I've never really been consistent with it. When I was in the mood to sculpt, I would. Mainly I created sculptures to give away as gifts especially around the holidays.

When I first started out I bought a bunch of educational books with step by step instructions. It was fun and those books absolutely taught me a lot! From making the various shapes and which tools did what. Eventually I got bored with making the same types of characters over and over though. I wanted more of a challenge so I began sculpting humpback whales.

Those who know me know that I'm very much obsessed with whales. Although my life looks very different now and I don't get out on the boat as much as I did during previous years, my passion for them is still the same. It only made sense to me to try to sculpt one of my biggest passions in life. Much to my surprise, I found them to be pretty easy to make and I still enjoy sculpting them to this day.

I've made several other critters throughout the years including pigs, insects, dragons, sea turtles, and I'm sure there's more that I'm just not thinking of at the moment. Unfortunately, I don't have photos of my oldest pieces but was able to find a handful of whales and turtles to share which I'll be doing in the weeks to come. I'll also be sharing some new projects as I get back into this world of sculpting. I'm super excited to see where this journey takes me! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

~ Mandy

Address

Bedford, NH

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Polymer Clay Art by Mandy Houston posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category