Who is behind the Monsters?
Remember the classic story of The Wizard of Oz? Remember when Dorothy discovers that behind the curtain the great and scary wizard is really just a little old man? Well, I'm not an old man, but I am the person behind the monsters.

Have a Monster question? Just drop me an email at: monsters@thinktechdesign.com and I'll try my best to answer you, even if I have to make something up :-)

	Guardian Monster: Beethia Trumpetoff

You see, I love monsters. All kinds of monsters. Grumpy ones, silly ones, pathetic ones. Blue ones with green bumps, yellow ones with purple stripes...you name it, I just love em!

Probably because I am one. Okay, not an actual monster...but, I must admit, there are aspects of my personality that could...well...be considered...”monster-ISH”. Like when I grrrowl back at my poor kitties as they meow for more food... Mind you, I JUST fed them less than an hour ago... but that’s another story. (sigh)

Making the Connection
Why am I the person these Guardian Monsters trust to make the connection of them with you? That's a good question. I am guessing that the Guardian Monster Guild (GMG) did a bit of people searching and discovered that I was first and foremost a monster lover! Then they must have learned that I have been studying monsters ever since I was a kid. I began my own field research over time, traveling to far flung places and hidden spaces, in an effort to study them and their environments more closely. On rare occasions, I got extremely lucky and was able to "interview" a few of them. After a while, word got out and the Guardian Monsters approached me. They could tell that I would never deliberately harm them and would try my best to get their message out to those humans in need.

Guardian Monster: Ulf Shinglefit

Creating Monster Portraits
Creating individual portraits can be (ahem) challenging, to put it mildly. After several Guardian Monsters have been sent to me by the Guild, I must first gain their trust - not an easy task, since many have various issues or are extremely shy. Next, I must get each monster to sit still for a portrait. That is often easier said than done. Some are extremely shy, as I mentioned, and need a little coaxing along with some hot, sweet tea to relax. Others have more aggressive natures and need to settle down first, so I don't get jumped or bitten while creating their portraits. Tasty tidbits are usually offered as well, to keep the restless ones content and from possibly chewing on me out of sheer nervousness. (Pssst...they have sometimes requested rather strange things to eat)

Photography versus Painting
I have unfortunately discovered that Guardian Monster’s can be quite nit-picky when it comes to drawing and painting their portraits. (Most tend to be rather hard-headed about finding the perfect location, including waiting for the appropriate weather conditions -- many prefer the outside and some even like thunderstorms! -- as well as proper lighting or lightning as the case may be -- which can be truly frightening if you’re not used to it. ) Between you and me, some monsters are downright vain to the point of annoying -- constantly looking over my shoulder and questioning my artistic skills -- to my face, mind you!... checking on my progress and telling me what adjustments to make here and there. It can be quite unnerving, if the truth be told.

How easy life would be, if all I had to do was take a quick snapshot of these monsters. No more sitting in the pouring rain during a thunderstorm, trying to keep myself and art supplies dry! Or trying to paint during a blizzard! Have you ever tried painting while wearing mittens!!? Let alone, trying to be a proper host at the same time, supplying tea and tasties, while sopping wet. Alas, photography does not work on these fellows -- believe me, I have tried.