Laura Johnston is the designer and artist behind le animalé. Her shop features beautifully sculpted mini figurines, which she calls ‘totems.’ She also makes jewelry, and all of her work is inspired by her love for animals. Laura creates these totems in hopes to spread comfort, positive-thinking, and happiness. Her “Fat Fat” Corgi Totem and Fat Fat Corgi Pin are what first caught my eye when I discovered her on Instagram. I was immediately drawn to her work because everything is so simple and charming. This month, Laura shares stories about her work and her inspirations behind le animalé.
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Hi Laura, can you tell us a bit about who you are and what you make?
My name is Laura and I live in San Jose, CA with my partner and spotty cattle dog mix. I make cute little animals in clay, pewter, and enamel! I love laughing, falafel, zucchini, making art, alone time, animals (of course), silly randomness, and chats with friends. I’m super fascinated by human behavior and why we do what we do. Radio static annoys the bajeebus out of me, but when music is on I can’t help but move! Singing and dancing is so fun.
What is your background in? Have you always been creative? When did you first start?
I’ve been creating things for as long as I can remember and imagine I always will! I started drawing when I was young and used to make up books and stories as a kid. I had this one called “The Cool Book” (obviously) that was an amalgamation of stories, character profiles, and drawings; one starred a character named Jerry(?) who was tragically squashed by a giant Spaghetti-O. They were really good stories. I also poured over Zoobooks and The Wildlife Fact File and was obsessed with animals. I started music in middle school and played saxophone through college, during which time I was also working freelance portrait photographer until starting le animalé in 2011. I learned from each of those things and think they all contribute to what I’m doing now in some way.
What types of products were in your shop with when you launched le animalé?
My first totem was an okapi with a Starbucks drink, haha! I love combining animals and humor into a small, cute package. In the beginning I experimented a little with my style and different types of products like cards and notebooks, but I’ve always had clay totems from the get-go. I started adding pewter pieces to the mix in 2012, and enamel pieces in 2016!
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What does your workspace look like? What are your must-have tools?
Right now my workspace is a huge wreck, and today is officially cleaning day. Haha. The wreckage happens regularly here as orders come in and I work on new cuteness – it’s a cycle. My workspace is an extra bedroom in our house. The walls are white and covered with artwork I’ve collected from friends and artists I admire. I’ve got separate stations set up for computer work, painting/sculpting, shipping, and storage. My must-have tools are a simple pick tool, polymer clay, and acrylic paint! I do most of my sculpting just with my fingers, so I don’t use a lot of tools. I do have this cool metal stamp with my logo on it for signing the bottom of my totems – that one’s pretty necessary!




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What was the inspiration behind your totem designs?
I’d been collecting little animals and things for years before I started le animalé. I love collections! I felt like it was hard to find what I wanted and ended up making, which is a mostly realistic totem… with a twist (no eyes). When I was in 6th grade I had a little plastic totem I would carry around with me, and it felt like a source of protection and comfort. The positive impact that a small item like that can have is incredible to me. I love making these cute little animals to brighten someone’s day, whether it’s a smile at seeing the cute corgi pin on your backpack, or a connection to the gentle protection of the slow loris, or the comforting weight of pewter totems to help you feel grounded. Of course, there is a silly component, too, and I just love the fun of it all! Animals are such a fun subject, and I like going back and forth with my audience to hear which animals they’d like to see in my next shop updates!


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What pieces are you most proud of? Which pieces are most popular?
I really love my newest pewter dragon totem, and he has been very popular so far! I also love getting a chance to do more detailed totems and have been having a lot of fun with ‘duo totems‘ – combining two animals into one piece. My most popular animals lately would probably be corgi, wolf, fox, and sloth. <3


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Have you done any custom pieces? What have been your favorites so far (most whimsical, fun to make, most challenging, etc)?
I’ve done hundreds of custom pieces over the last 5 years. One of my favorites was a mama and baby camel duo set that had Swarovski crystals inlaid in the painted details. It came out so cute! I’ve also made a lot of custom pet totems, and the feedback I receive on those makes me feel really happy to be able create something so special for someone. I accept custom totems only a few times per year, and the next opportunity will be in 2017. I always announce availability through my newsletter.

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Do you have any business advice or words of wisdom for other Makers and artists trying to pursue their passion? What have you learned so far since starting your shop?
Oh gosh, I have learned, so, so much. My biggest advice is to be patient and consistent. Make regularly, learn regularly, learn to feel discouraged and keep going anyway because you’ll inevitably feel that way sometimes. Be consistent in making and practicing, and consistent in interacting with your fans and customers. Being consistent doesn’t mean never having a break – it’s important to allow yourself space and down time to rejuvenate and reenergize. But you’ll never get anywhere by thinking yourself there, you have to try and do and succeed and fail and learn and grow through consistent work.
Also realize the power in making something that is authentically you. Do what you love, and work at finding your people because they’re going to love it, too.
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Are there any exciting, upcoming projects for you that we can look forward to?
Of course! I’m always working on new things! I have a shop update once per month and have been working on new totems, pins, and pewter pieces for those. I have an exciting round of ornaments coming up for the holidays soon, too! Lastly, I’m working on a big collaboration that will be released in the next couple of months, and I can’t really say more than that for now but details will be released via my newsletter when they are available!
Support Laura and le animalé:
Shop Le Animalé | @leanimale | Facebook
AMAZING <3