Many of Marlaine Verhelst's influences come from impressions of the work of puppeteers, the paintings of Arthur Rackham, the theater. Marlaine Verhelst works in several mediums. Mostly her pieces are sculpted directly of porcelain, but sometimes air-drying clay is used for the legs of a standing doll.

"My pieces are so close to human beings. You really can get touched by them. I try to create a fantasy world based on human characters and anatomy but everyone can imagine their own story for my work. I consider it three-dimensional illustrations of imaginary stories.

My figures are independent, introverted and (mostly) intelligent. They are meant to make people smile. In my opinion not only the faces give expression, but the hands as well. My guide is to keep it simple and don't stick to conventions."

Animals are modeled from papier maché around a base of Styrofoam. Marlaine Verhelst lives in The Netherlands and travels extensively exhibiting and teaching workshops all over the world. She is the organizer of a yearly creative week in the Paris region.