
A wonderfully strange little world in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood, where more than 500 ceramic and found-object creatures have come to populate the Ravenna Trollbooth. Artist Gregory Engel began the Trollbooth after a century-old broadleaf maple fell in front of his home in 2004. The original stump has gradually been replaced with other materials, but the tiny world it inspired continues to grow. Engel’s work extends far beyond Ravenna. He lives and works in Utqiagvik on the Arctic Ocean for six months of the year, has left nearly 100 ceramic pieces at Ross Lake Resort over years of family visits, and has created installations at Bikini Creek. Look closely at the creatures while you’re there—and if you find one that needs a name, Engel invites visitors to photograph it and send in a suggestion.