People often given Calvin Turrentine a weird look when he tells them his hobby. You might get weird looks, too, if you made sculptures out of toilet paper.

"A lot of people think I'm crazy until they see what I'm doing. After they see my work then, they believe me."

Turrentine works as a landscaper during the warm months, but says he gets "fidgety" during the winter when he has nothing to do.

So he was sitting in the bathroom one day and ...

"I had some tissue and some water sitting there and I came up with this idea," he said.

He uses a ketchup bottle to squirt water on the paper. By pressing the water out and mushing the mass together, he can shape it into forms. He has more than 15 on his table now, most of which are animals.

"I'm an animal guy," he says, with a laugh.

"When I sit in that chair and watch TV, I watch nothing but animal shows," he said. "I like to know about animals."

The lines of the toilet paper disappear as Turrentine adds layer after layer, draping some over the mass like a little sheet.

"Anybody can do it," he says.

He'd like to sell the items on eBay. He said he has had many inquiries about his projects, especially after creating a Santa Claus sculpture.

He uses recycled toilet paper for his projects, and says it's a cheap hobby, having spent $2 on several rolls. That and the watercolor paints mean he can sculpt for less than $10.

Turrentine, who also makes metal jewelry, said he'd like to teach his craft to children in art classes and he may apply for a grant from the Durham Arts Council.

Each sculpture takes a few days to dry. He tried drying one in the microwave once and "it swelled up, just puffed up."

Dabs of watercolor give each animal life, and a spray of Scotch Guard prevent it from turning into the mess you find in your yard after Halloween.

Turrentine said it might take some time, but most people are convinced one they see the result.

"One of my friends ... he said, man if I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe it, but I'm seeing it and I do believe my eyes."