InTimidNation: Handmade creations by Laura Granlund in Chicago, IL.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

You won’t find it on a map, in an atlas or by car. In fact, Intimidnation isn’t a nation at all! It’s a collection of handmade plush, paintings and illustrations brought to life by the heart and mind of Chicago artist, Laura Granlund. Born and raised in Western Mass, Granlund spent her formative years teaching stuffed animals to talk and playing in the woods behind her house. It comes as no surprise that the lead character of the Intimidnation cast is a bearded, gnome – monkey by the name of Mr. Beardsley. Mr. Beardsley is a handmade plush that resembles a monkey and wears a removable bearded disguise. There is not just one Mr. Beardsley, there is a whole family of cuddly creatures, each unique in their own way. Each plush primate comes in a variety of sizes, disguises and personalities.

Granlund’s creations have previously appeared in exhibits such as: Plush You! (Seattle), Crammed Organisms (St. Louis), Plushform (Chicago), Giant Skills (Ft. Lauderdale), Plush! (New Haven) and Welcome to Dollywood (LA).

You may have also seen her work crawling around the pages of such notable books and magazines as: People Magazine, Pitchfork, MF Magazine, Fiber Arts, Venus, Plush You! and Crammed Organisms. Noted individuals with custom plush designed in their likeness include: Conan O’Brien, Isaac Mizrahi, The Thermals, Billy Corgan, Dinosaur Jr. and Bill Murray’s character, Steve Zissou from Life Aquatic.

WHAT DO YOU DESIGN AT INTIMIDNATION?

Currently, paintings, greeting cards and Mr. Beardsley plush as well as custom plush characters for different projects and group shows.

WHO AND WHAT IS MR. BEARDSLEY?

Imagine a plush creature that resembles a monkey and wears a removable bearded disguise. That’s him! There is not just one Mr. Beardsley though, there are many out there and they are each unique in their own way. Each plush primate comes in a variety of sizes and disguises. Some of them come in a larger size and have a theme or are inspired by some one.

WHERE DID MR. BEARDLSEY COME FROM?

While in college, Granlund put together an art installation based around some radio active-looking sock monkeys. Over time, the idea evolved and in 2003,the first bearded critter was conceived. She has been making them ever since! Little details have changed on Mr. Beardsley over the last couple of years and I’m quite sure that he will continue to keep on evolving. The name, “Mr. Beardsley” was one of the nick names she had for the family dog - a fluffy-faced jack russell terrier.

IS YOUR PLUSH HANDMADE?

You bet!  Each piece is unique in its own way and handmade by Laura with the help of her two hands and a sewing machine.

WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU WORK WITH?

For the most part, fleece and felt. Various materials are worked into their outfits; cottons and wools, etc. The plushie creatures are stuffed with a polyester fiberfill. Sometimes buttons, doll’s eyes, sequins and feathers, too!

MY MR. BEARDSLEY GOT DIRTY – HOW SHOULD I CLEAN HIM?

If he really needs some help in the suds department, take a wet cloth or sponge and give him a spot-cleaning. I would not take Mr. Beardsley in the bath tub with you or put him in the washing machine. As fun as it sounds, the harsh wash may cause the plush to lose it’s shape or a button may pop off - Oh no!

IS MR. BEARDSLEY SAFE FOR KIDS?

Not a great idea for a toddler that is going to be putting it in their mouth and I wouldn’t recommend giving them to your pet to play with.  These creatures are primarily meant to be used for decorative purposes. Ideally it would be great if all the children in the world had a bearded gnome to play with but because the Intimidnation plush is handmade and contains small parts like buttons and plastic eyes, there is the possibility that they could come off at some point. Please use your best judgement when buying for youngsters and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

CAN I FIND YOUR CREATIONS IN STORES?

Yes! iNTiMiDNATiON has products in these fabulous shops:

ILLINOIS:

KENTUCKY:

SEATTLE: