A northern Nevada woman claims real aliens inspire her out-of-this-world art.

Carol McLeod of Smith Valley crafts aliens out of clay, but she doesn't only rely on her imagination. McLeod claims her art is modeled after aliens she's met before.

"I have seen like a whole line of them off into this sort of mysterious, cloudy space waiting to get their picture taken in clay," McLeod said.

McLeod is director of the Starfield Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to alternative science. She showcased her artwork and her publications at the Mutual UFO Network's conference in Las Vegas.

McLeod said the best part of the conference is meeting with other believers.

"They don't know if they're crazy or not and then all of a sudden they talk to you and they go, 'Oh, alright, I'm not nuts!" McLeod said.

McLeod's booth was one of the most popular among people who attended the conference. The conference wrapped up on Sunday.