Local artist gets creative about breaking into golf industry
We’ve all seen them at one time or another. The classic,
doll-like sock monkeys that are beige, brown and red, stand about a
little more than a foot tall and are irresistible to children and
adults alike.
Today, those same sock monkeys are proving to be a hit with
golfers everywhere
– and it’s all because a Hollister resident took the idea of
making the famous monkeys into a head cover and ran with it.
”
I invented the head cover design for them and I have a license
to use my monkey design only,
”
said Shannon Grissom, who simply calls her creative item Monkey
Made of Sockies.
”
Eventually, I might have a contest to come up with another name
for it.
”
Local artist gets creative about breaking into golf industry
We’ve all seen them at one time or another. The classic, doll-like sock monkeys that are beige, brown and red, stand about a little more than a foot tall and are irresistible to children and adults alike.
Today, those same sock monkeys are proving to be a hit with golfers everywhere – and it’s all because a Hollister resident took the idea of making the famous monkeys into a head cover and ran with it.
“I invented the head cover design for them and I have a license to use my monkey design only,” said Shannon Grissom, who simply calls her creative item Monkey Made of Sockies. “Eventually, I might have a contest to come up with another name for it.”
Since all sock monkeys are unique, Grissom was granted the right to use her particular monkey and make it into the head cover. That monkey head cover is one that was designed from an old sock monkey that her mother had throughout her life.
Grissom inherited the little creature shortly after her mother’s passing in 1994. For years, the old monkey sat patiently in the cedar chest until one day Grissom, who is a full-time artist, pulled it out of the old chest and decided to incorporate it into one of her paintings.
“My mother always had a good sense of humor and there was a contest that called for a pear and a fish to be painted, and then we were to relate the painting to someone we knew. So I went down to Safeway and bought a few pears and some Gold Fish crackers and put the monkey in there and started to paint,” Grissom said.
Although she would never submit the painting for fear that the contest was actually a scam to generate money, when she saw the completed product not only did it remind her of happy times with her mother, she knew that she had found her niche.
“You know how you feel when your wrist bends as you’re shooting a basket? If it feels right, you just know that the shot is going in. I just felt that I really had something here,” Grissom said. “I wasn’t looking for a market. I just knew I had something and felt compelled to keep painting it.”
Since then Grissom has incorporated the monkey into 32 of her paintings. The monkey even inspired her to write a children’s book simply titled Monkey Made of Socks. And after her journey with the head covers winds down, she has plans to use the very same monkey to write a second children’s book where the monkey will teach children how to play golf.
“I do serious portraits too. But the monkey is my top seller. It’s all been very lucrative for me,” said the 49-year-old painting entrepreneur. “My paintings with the monkey have been put on a number of products, including shirts and boxer shorts.”
And now the head cover monkey appears to be sparking a frenzy-like interest all over the globe. Recently, she was contacted by the Daphnes Company, the maker of most of golf’s animal head covers, and was informed that her Monkey Made of Sockies is already the No. 1 seller in Japan. And just recently LPGA Tour player Jennifer Rosales opted to cover her driver with one.
“I’ve heard that they’ve already sold out on the initial run,” said Grissom, who receives royalties from the sales. “They’re already on the second printing.”
Grissom’s goal is to sell enough of the head covers to allow her to paint and enjoy her newfound favorite passion – golf – full time.
“I love to play golf. I play it as much as I can,” said Grissom, who paints everything from golf scenes to Harleys. “The goal is to play it all the time. That would be great.”
Grissom first took the game up a year ago. It was then that Eric Dietz, the former general manager at Ridgemark, saw the sock monkey and told Grissom that he felt like it would make the perfect head cover, encouraging her to produce a prototype.
“I had a lot of good support. Scott Fuller at San Juan Oaks was also interested in the idea,” she said.
Since the initial idea for the innovative head covers came from Dietz, Grissom agreed to give 50 percent of the proceeds from the first run of head covers to Dietz’s favorite charity, Play Golf America.
“Right now, they are being globally distributed,” Grissom said. “The sales potential is unlimited.”
Grissom has three of the special head covers on her own golf bag. Eventually, Grissom would like to make a larger Monkey Made of Sockies head cover that would fit on the biggest modern drivers.
Although she created a fun novelty item for golfers everywhere, Grissom herself has been playing the game for only about a year. Typically, she shoots about 130 for 18 holes.
“I’m terrible, but I’m hooked on it,” said Grissom. “I’ve already worked out a deal to trade painting lessons for golf lessons. I love it.”
