Local artist Christine McConnell has managed to turn her Halloween hobby into a high-profile career.
Her efforts to turn her parents’ home in a “Monster House” — inspired by the film of the same name — have caught a lot of attention, both on social media and at the real life location on Pacific Street in Highland.
This year, the Halloween decor even spooked a few deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, as seen in photos posted by the Highland Police Department.
McConnell said the home’s intricate design required patience more than skill, with every shingle cut individually.
“The first night that we put all the bottom panels on a crazy wind came through, ripped everything off, and they were torn into pieces on the ground. So they all had to be repaired by hand,” she said.
Her skills also caught the attention of Netflix, who just debuted a new show, “The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell.”
McConnell’s career really took off after she turned her parents’ home in the 27000 block of Pacific Street in Highland into a Monster House in 2015.
“I kind of grew up thinking I was going to come across something magical, and finally I realized you’re responsible for creating the kind of art you want to see in the world,” she told KTLA.
The post went viral, and before long numerous production companies offered her deals, but it was Netflix that landed her, McConnell told Eater.
Her show features her “haunting confections, creepy crafts — and wildly inappropriate creatures,” Netflix writes, or as the New Yorker describes it, “Martha Stewart meets Tim Burton.”
You can see more of McConnell’s work on Instagram.