Welcome to my corner of The Cheeky Choughs! While Bill finds his peace in the solid, simple logic of wood, I find mine in the texture, colour, and history woven into a handful of raw wool.
My work, as many of you know, focuses heavily on the whimsical and the magical: the wise women, the fairies, and the creatures of folklore. For me, needle-felting is not just a craft; it’s an act of research and preservation—a tactile way of bringing forgotten histories back into the light.
The History Hiding in the Hands
Cornwall is a land soaked in tales. We are surrounded by ancient stones, whispered legends, and the legacy of powerful, often misunderstood, figures.
My favourite figures to create are my witches and wise women. But these aren’t the cackling caricatures of later fairytales. My inspiration lies in the historical context: the ‘Cunning Women’ and ‘Pellers’ who were essential pillars of their communities—healers, herbalists, and advisors. They were the ones who truly knew the land.
When I’m selecting the wool for a cloak or the shade of grey for a face, I am thinking of the texture of time—the ruggedness of the granite landscape they lived in, and the resilience of their spirits. It’s a quiet honour to create a felted figure that carries the dignity and wisdom of those historical women.
Research Note: Did you know the Cornish word for fairy is ‘Piskie’ or ‘Pixie’? These are often depicted as mischievous beings, but historically, they served a more complex role in protecting certain places, like tin mines or ancient paths.
From Idea to Figure: The Process
Bill’s work is about subtraction—carving away until the bird is found. Mine is about addition and structure.
Needle-felting is essentially sculptural drawing. I use a barbed needle to physically interlock the wool fibres, building a solid form from nothing more than fluff. It demands meticulous attention to detail, especially in the faces of my fairies and felted animals, where the smallest angle of an eyebrow can change the entire personality.
It requires patience—sometimes hours are spent on a tiny hand or a flowing lock of hair—but it offers a wonderful connection to the natural fibre and the slow, meditative rhythm of the craft.
A Quest for Authenticity
Just as the history of the chough anchors our name, the history of this land anchors my art.
My creations are infused with the textures and colours I study every day here in Penwith: the deep purples of heather on the moor, the rich ochres of the mine waste, and the vibrant greens near the hidden springs. It is this academic interest in where we are and who came before us that gives my felted figures their unique, quiet soul.
I look forward to sharing more of my historical studies and creative journeys with you all. Feel free to peek over at Bill’s Workbench, where he is usually busy finding a simple truth in a piece of wood!
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