Many of my miniature sculptures are created through the fascinating and labour intensive technique called needle felting.Needle felting is a very time consuming process when done carefully and in layers.

Basically, the raw ( washed ) fleece mainly from sheep, or alpaca is felted with a very sharp special needle with barbs on the tip. The felting needle tangles the fleece into a solid layer which can then be built slowly into a solid form or sculpture or a picture or whatever you desire. The possibilities are endless . If you can dream it, you can create it in wool ! Needle felting to be done well, takes patience and time. If you are looking for quick results, needle felting is not for you!

The needle must be poked hundreds and hundreds of times to build the layers and shapes. The more you poke , the more solid and long lasting the sculpture.

 I sculpt very solid layers of wool fleece to build the form like a clay sculpture. It takes many hours and days, but the resulting sculpture is solid and should last for generations. It can not easily be pulled apart. On top of the solid form, I often felt the 'hair' or 'fur' of the animal. I take tiny strands and create the texture of fur. Usually this 'fur' is can be gently combed with a straight pin. Since the strands are not glued in, the sculpture must be handled with care.

Needle felting is a wonderful hobby and legitimate form of Fine Art and Sculpture. It is quite addictive once you get started and if you stick with it and study your subjects, beautiful results are possible.