Local artist offers spooky collectibles for Halloween

Horror movie enthusiasts can add a collective piece from their favorite films just in time for Halloween.
Local artist Amethyst Loreen is using her artistry skills to recreate some of horror’s most iconic villains into pieces that can be displayed in anyone’s home. Loreen, who spent 14 years in Wexford, Ireland, immigrated with her parents to the United States before settling in the southwest Iowa area.
“My parents wound up in Nebraska, where I lived for years and years, and then about three years ago, I bought a house in the Stanton area near Viking Lake and moved to the area,” Loreen said.
Loreen said she’s been interested in doing art for as long as she can remember.
“I’ve always been an artistic person, ever since I was a kid. I made all sorts of things, and I have an affinity for macabre art, making dolls and props for haunted houses and trade shows,” stated Loreen.
Loreen also sculpts statues. Among her works is Audrey II, the killer plant seen in Little Shop of Horrors.
“I’ve done statues that are as big as five and a half feet tall, and statues with single heads, double heads, or triple heads. I also sculpt a lot of desktop-sized statues. One of my recent sculpts was the Demogorgon from Stranger Things. I posted it on my Facebook and I didn’t even get the chance to list it before one of my friends contacted me wanting it,” commented Loreen. “I look at things, and try to think up things I can turn them into.”
Constructing the statues, Loreen said, can take a lot of legwork as they involve a particular process.
“I weight the bases down so the statues won’t blow over if the buyer wants to put them on the porch. I have to get the base and main posts set in the pot first before I can even start the artsy side of it,” Loreen explained. “A lot of it also comes down to finding supplies, or alternate supplies when it’s in the off season. There are a lot of things I’ll buy now so that I can have it on hand to start work in the next season, since they are available. After the base and posts are set, it can take an average of around four or five hours to sculpt a larger piece.”
Loreen highlighted some of her other artistic pieces beyond just the large and small sculptures.
“I do dolls and furniture. Last season I did coffin shaped bookshelves and coffee tables, and I did a couple of pieces this year where the coffee table looked like a big spirit board. I used a process of wood burning to make that,” said Loreen. “My husband and I also recently invested in a plasma cutter, and he’s a welder. We’re going to start making things we can cut with the plasma cutter so we can do some of the big outdoor metal pieces, like the big roosters you see people have in their yards. We want to do some of that, so I’ll have him cut the pieces and give it my own artistic twist.”
Loreen also does doll redesigns. Some of her recent works have been Pennywise the Clown from It, Jason Vorhees from Friday the 13th, and Pyramid Head from Silent Hill, making them emulate the characters while also being cuddly.
“I try and give them all their own little unique look. You can definitely tell what they are. My house is overrun with dolls, I have so many. I get a lot of doll orders. I have one order right now that’s for 10 different horror movie characters. Edward Scissorhands is one I did last year, and I had 10 people that wanted an order for that doll,” advised Loreen.
When making a doll, Loreen said she likes the characters that stand out a little bit. Also, the dolls she makes can be big or small.
“I make big ones as well. I’ve been commissioned to make life-sized dolls that are six feet tall. There’s really not much I can’t make,” Loreen said.
Loreen described the things she found the most rewarding about being able to bring her art into the community.
“I have tables at art fairs and shows periodically, and one of the things I like about what I do is I try to find a way to make things neat, while also being cost efficient. I like people to have art in their houses that they don’t have to pay a fortune for, making it affordable and something that’s really cool that they can have in their house or business,” Loreen stated. “A lo of businesses contact me and so do others, and I cover my supplies and get a little extra money to put away. This is the way I take my kids on vacation every year. We recently got back from a trip to Florida, and I was able to do that based on my artwork this year.”
Loreen said she’s also planning on making a stop with some of her pieces at an upcoming event.
“A lot of people know me because I’ve been doing it for ages. I’m thinking of getting a booth at one of the art or craft fairs that take place around Red Oak next fall,” Loreen stated.
Anyone interested is welcome to request a commissioned piece, and can contact her through her Facebook page at facebook.com/amethyst.loreen.5/. However, she doesn’t have a dedicated Facebook page for her artwork, due to demand.
“I’m always backed up. As soon as I complete an order, another one comes in. I got a jump on the Audrey IIs in June this year, and after I posted them, the entire set was gone in four days. I have a lot of people who follow me on marketplace, or message me through there to take orders.”
To contact Loreen or see some of her past artwork, visit her page at facebook.com/groups/274939779274623/user/100052656064935/.
Lastly, Loreen said no one should hesitate to contact her for any type of horror piece.
“I always love giving people a nice piece for a Halloween scare, and I can make just about anything. All they need to do is give me an idea of what they want, and I can pull it off,” Loreen said.