Tiny art with big appeal: Watch Melissa McCarthy create a miniature puffin sculpture

Melissa McCarthy rolls a small piece of clay between her hands until she forms a perfect circle. Using her fingers, she then pulls and shapes the clay, gradually turning it into whatever creation she envisions.

"I let the clay tell me what it wants to be and shape it accordingly," she says.

McCarthy's pieces may be small, but the market for them isn't.

The ceramist, photographer and jewelry designer creates whimsical porcelain sculptures, primarily of animals, in her home in Mount Pearl. Her business, Made with Clay and Love, has been her full-time job for the past 11 years.

Her sculptures range in size from half an inch in length to what she calls "larger" pieces, which are generally six centimetres long. Her most popular size fits comfortably on the tip of your finger and is around two centimetres long.

"The East Coast really influences my work. Puffins, gannets, whales we're so lucky to have all those creatures here in Newfoundland," said McCarthy.

Despite the local influences, she estimates about 85 per cent of her sales come from customers in the United States. And with over 3,500 Etsy sales, McCarthy's days are busy.

Each sculpture takes a week to create, from start to finish; this allows time for the clay to dry, as well as for two firings of the kiln.

"I've always loved working with my hands," McCarthy said. "I find sculpting really therapeutic."

Check out McCarthy working on one of her unique creations in our new series, Drawn To It, in the video player above, and catch up on other instalments of Drawn To It here:

Videographer and editor: Mike Simms