Inferno Soft Sculpture Dragon by Terri Rehg

Artist: Terri Rehg has been creating toys and textile art since childhood, a lifelong passion that has evolved into a sophisticated artistic practice combining traditional craft techniques with contemporary soft sculpture. She studied textiles at California State University Sacramento, UC Davis, and American River College, with additional training through workshops and 4-H as a child.

The oldest of eight children in a tight-knit artistic family, Terri worked for years under the signature “Sis” while running Art Of Toys, a brick-and-mortar gallery where she exhibited her work incognito alongside other artists. When COVID forced the gallery’s closure in 2022, she transitioned to working under her own name and moved the business online to artoftoys.com.

Now based in Humboldt, California, Terri has become increasingly conscious of environmental waste and incorporates upcycled materials—particularly reclaimed velour jogging suits—into her textile sculptures. Her summer 2025 studies at Haystack Mountain School of Arts in Maine proved transformative, deepening her mastery of traditional Scandinavian Rya weaving techniques. She now combines these labor-intensive hand-knotting methods with soft sculpture, embroidery, and appliqué to create whimsical yet meticulously crafted creatures.

Working primarily in felt, Terri explores two distinct series: Dragons, which connect to rich mythological histories across cultures, and Monsters, which embrace pure imagination and possibility. Though she continues to explore other mediums including encaustics, weaving, and drawing, fabric creation remains her most comfortable and joyful practice—the fulfillment of a childhood dream to master the craft of the toy maker.