Source: The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.self storageNov. 01--Halloween Productions took a chance on an upstart life-size monster sculptor from Carlinville and now he gives opportunities to others at his own Grimstone Studios.Born in Alton, Kendall R. Hart grew up in Carlinville and worked as a graphic designer in a small cubicle before starting his larger-than-life dream of being a commercial artist. He began recreating television and movie monsters as a kid through drawing. He loved Thundercats, G.I. Joe, Star Wars and especially Godzilla. After failing to find molded Godzilla figures to play with, he began making the Japanese monster by tearing apart and reassembling plastic dinosaur toys."This gave me the confidence that I could create anything," said Hart, who now lives in Missouri's northern Ozarks, where he moved to Potosi to follow his girlfriend Rae Waterfield's career as a high school science educator.Hart began creating clay sculptures that he took to sci-fi conventions where he consistently sold out. Then he began contacting any company that he thought would use art such as his, including Halloween Productions in St. Louis. He landed a commission for a 7-foot tall sculpted classic creature after he attended an interview with Halloween Productions and presented them with an unorthodox portfolio."I grabbed an 18-inch tall sculpture and drove to the meeting," Hart recalled about taking his Wolfman sculpture to the interview. "I reasoned it showed I could draw, sculpt and paint all in one piece."Halloween Productions wanted Hart's very own Wolfman, but exponentially larger."After that project, two more were ordered and I've been sculpting life-size monsters and dinosaurs ever since," he said.Eventually he quit his more than 10-year-old graphic design desk job and started freelancing before forming Grimstone Studios in 2009, where he often employs artist Evan Lamb to assist with large builds and also enlists Waterfield's help. Lamb is both an artist and designer for Grimstone Studios; he and Hart built the life-size Lord of Darkness for The Darkness haunted attraction in St. Louis."I can live in the Ozarks and work for clients because of a Ford truck, a camper shell and UPS," Hart said. "I've shipped to Japan but it was a miniature sculpture of a monk."A few of Hart's larger small-scale pieces are in Chicago; those works are one-twentieth scale so each are about three feet tall, including a Piasa Bird depiction.During Grimstone Studios' history, Hart has completed 10 life-size pieces with one more he is near to completing for a client. He still owns two, which are the beginning of Hart's personal collection for a touring show. He has also done a lot of work for a life-size dinosaur studio but all that work is owned elsewhere. Some of his dinosaur work in collaboration with many artists is on display at the Bollinger County Natural History Museum in Marble Hills, Mo. He also is a part of a new natural history museum being built in his adopted state but he cannot yet confirm the city."But get excited Missouri," he exclaimed.Waterfield, originally from Itasca, Ill., relocated to Carlinville where she met Ha迷利倉t; she also is an artist, writer and musician. Thus, she helps Hart with his life-size sculptures, mostly doing detail work and finishing touches, such as costumes, hair and painting. Her own art she does in traditional pencil, traditional ink, digital painting, as well as sculpture; she sends work samples upon request at Facebook.com/rae.waterfield.Each of Hart's sculptures begin with a sketch, which is used as a reference for proportions, the sections the sculpture will be broken into for transport and to plan the inner structures that supports the clays.Life-size sculptures get expensive and heavy very quickly, Hart noted. For this reason, he meticulously studies his sketches "over planning" the materials and process to not only decide how to build a creation within budget, but also to determine how a sculpture will physically leave the studio and be delivered to a client.For large pieces, Hart bulks the forms out with hollow wire-frame or carved foam; then over these materials, he applies epoxy clays similar to putties used in plumbing and auto repair.Recently, the lifestyle/travel magazine for Southeast Missouri, 573, featured a spread on Hart and his work, which includes many more projects than those of Grimstone Studios.This year Hart dabbled again with graphic design and began designing and illustrating books; he did the graphic design for New Babel Books "The Apocalypse of Enoch" zombie series by Holiday Shore's author Shane Moore. Hart did the design for the series' first book and did both design and cover illustration for the second book, "The Apocalypse of Enoch II: Scourge," available now on Amazon.com. For the second book, Hart also sculpted a life-size character named Vorto displayed during the book launch at Project Comic Con in St. Louis last month. He also is doing design and cover illustration for the series' third book due out in early 2014."One part of building books is I get to help others bring their stories and dreams to life," Hart said. "This project also was perfect preparation for my own kid's book I wrote years ago. Hopefully in time for the 2013 Christmas shopping season."Hart also designed and illustrated another author's children's book,"The Crooked Nose Puppy," by Emily Bellefeuille, due out next month.For completion next year, Hart has an ongoing project for a historical fiction graphic novel, "Lewis and Clark's Unremarkable Expedition," about the Lewis and Clark expedition encountering the myths of the American West. Author Rich Mansfield is writing the story and Hart is doing the illustration for the novel due out in early 2014. Hart hopes to launch this project in Alton."And, while there, scout a location for my life-size Piasa Bird sculpture even if I have to install it guerrilla-style," he half joked.Hart also designed for book titles "Unbreakable," by Heather Weaver, and "Seth Carter," by Fiona Ostler, both available on Amazon.com.Visit .grimstonestudios.com for more information.jmoon@thetelegraph.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.) 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