Sad, puppy dog eyes stare glistening in the light while a tongue wags with each passing second. This image is courtesy of a handmade, personalized paper clock from F.B. Fogg, founded by Ann Johnson, a 1972 Ball State University alumna.
Johnson used clothes-dryer lint from her babies' washables to make her own paper and save money on art supplies. The process was patented in the 1960s and became the basis of her creations, she said.
"I started at my kitchen table and got a good response from the first cow clock I made," Johnson said. "I thought it was fun to have the tongue move, so I figured if cows went over well dogs would be better, and if I made dogs, why not pigs, too?"
The pseudonym "F.B. Fogg," a character from her favorite children's book, came during the 1960s to prevent gender biases from hindering her business, Johnson said.
After graduating from Ball State, Johnson became an art educator in the Muncie area. She then traveled around the world as a women's activist and taught women in developing countries how to market local craft products for a source of income, she said.
F.B. Fogg items have traveled about as far as Johnson's travels have taken her.
Johnson travels as far away as Turkmenistan and as near as Mexico, for business and "treasure hunts for one-of-a-kind pieces" to bring back to Muncie, she said.
"I like to bring back unusual things I find while I'm out and about," she said. "Everything's inspiration to an artist."
Cow clocks alone are sent out at a rate of about 600 a year, she said. Items can be found in more than 1,600 galleries in 14 countries worldwide and in the homes of celebrities, including Madeline Albright, Steven Spielberg and Elizabeth Taylor, according to zoominfo.com.
"It's funny and a bit ironic that we sell clocks in Switzerland," Johnson said. "We've sold to places in Saudi Arabia, but also get calls for clocks in Indianapolis the same day."
Upon entering "House of Fogg" on East Main Street in Muncie, customers are greeted by a standing eight-foot handmade paper bear sculpture. Further perusal of the gallery leads to paper-crafted wicked witch shoes, "monkey shine" lamps and a wall filled with wagging tongue dog clocks.
"[F.B. Fogg] is a toy store for grown-ups," employee Joe Guffey said. "Inside is eye candy for everyone's pleasures. People will come in just to get cheered up."
House of Fogg is the only place in the country that specializes in making handmade sculptures and dyed paper clocks with moving parts, Guffey said.
"We can make anything you want, but for a price," Guffey said. "Nothing in the store is made to be the same as anything else anywhere."
The most requested item is still the wagging golden retriever clock, but other animals and objects - from life-size sitting cats to fly swatters and baked potatoes - can be made into clocks or sculptures upon request, Guffey said.
Pet Angel Memorial urns are also a popular item for customers who have just lost a furry, four-legged member of the family, Guffey said. For an additional fee, Johnson can bring in a photo of their pet for the artist to create a unique keepsake.
Guffey said one of the most standout requests was for a custom life-size alligator table, complete with beaded sunglasses and matching hot pink and orange polka-dotted chairs created from fabric found in Bali.
"People walk in and don't expect to see a lot of the creations we have around the store," he said. "Most people are in awe as they look around at all the clothing, jewelry, pottery and sculptures on display."
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