Together in Love and Art
When you name your business “Laughing Moon,” it must mean you intend to make some amusing products and have fun doing it! And in the case of artists Terrie and Richard Floyd, the good times and heartwarming art have been happening for more than 40 years.
The story begins with Terrie, who says she has been making art ever since she could hold a paintbrush. She especially loved folk art and became an art major at Mount St. Mary’s College in California.
To her surprise, she most enjoyed turning her paintings into puzzles and kinetic art. She was also fortunate to study with the late Corita Kent, a brilliant artist who juxtaposed the spiritual with pop art to create bold images.
In 1970, Terrie met Richard, who was destined to become both her husband and creative partner. Richard was a fine woodworker, who specialized in intricate and creative pieces. So, it soon became obvious they could marry each other’s artwork.
Richard is a meticulous puzzle solver whose precise work includes providing the perfectly sized platforms for Terrie’s paintings. He sketches every idea, refines it, precisely places the mechanisms, and makes a prototype. Then it is ready for Terrie’s artwork and finishing touches.
Their first pieces were jumping jacks, the toys that involved articulated parts moving in a coordinated way when activated by pulling a single string. Richard designed the wood background and mechanism, and Terrie painted the sweet design on every piece.
In a brief time, they added pendulum clocks to their repertoire and began taking their work to local art shows and fairs. Before they knew it, they were juried into larger, more exclusive shows, and stores began inquiring about selling their work.
However, they suffered a devastating setback in 1978 when the Agoura-Malibu fire storms burned more than 25,000 acres in California, along with hundreds of buildings, including their home and studios. It took Richard three years to rebuild their home while Terrie took care of their small children and continued to paint whenever she could find time and space. They simultaneously rebuilt both their home and their business, never losing sight of their goal — supporting their family with their art.
They debuted their Laughing Moon wholesale line at the 1984 Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia. Up until then, Terrie painted every piece by hand but was dismayed when she found her work ripped off by competitors making photographic copies.
But as the number of store orders grew, Terrie began using a similar method. However, to this day, she still paints the edges and details on every piece!
Within a brief time, Laughing Moon jumping jacks and clocks were displayed in hundreds of stores. They traveled to wholesale shows, hired reps, and developed an enormous network of devoted followers. Terrie even helped first-time wholesale exhibitors learn the intricacies of the wholesale world when she worked part-time for the ACRE shows.
While they no longer do trade shows, Terrie and Richard have a substantial number of stores across the country selling their unique work. Stores can find them on the IndieMe wholesale site. Individual buyers — many of them amazingly loyal — buy their work on Etsy and through the many catalogs featuring their work.
They continue to be challenged to make new work. Terrie has new sea life scenes that appear in wooden frames she calls “portholes.” Richard has designed a line of beautiful bracelets with abalone inlaid into wood.
They also still do some local art shows but now with an added twist. Their once small children, Molly and Dan, are also artists. So, art has become a family love affair!
Diane Sulg is executive director of CRAFT and founder & co-chair of American Craft Week (ACW). She is a handmade advocate who provides valuable information in her one-day seminars at wholesale shows throughout the United States. She can be reached at dianesulg@gmail.com.