Elaine Roesle

Artist Elaine Roesle creates her St. Nicholas Collection and her Snow Children Collectibles in a two-story studio behind her home in Clayton, Ohio. She designs, molds, fires, paints and dresses St. Nicholas and Snow Children characters with occasional help from her 17 year-old granddaughter, Caitlynn. From the beards on St. Nick to the sparkles on the Snow Children, each piece is painstakingly crafted by hand, one at a time. A lot of the accessories are either handmade or antique pieces Elaine has acquired over the years. Most of the fur used on the Santas is recycled fur and adds an elegant touch to the piece. The handcrafted heads seem to come alive with their realistic expressions and piercing eyes. A renowned American Artist, Elaine Roesle was recognized as one of the top 25 Santa makers in the country by a panel of jurists for Early American Life Magazine from 2005 through 2009 and in 2007 was given a silver medal from United Federation of Doll Clubs for Philanthropy through Dolls at their annual convention.