The art of needlefelt
“I love the feel of everything . Selecting teeny strands of colour, and imagining how the eye will blend them, if the needle can tease them into the right swirl or curl. The intensity of loosing oneself in colour and feel. Blocking out everything except the thought of how the eye should convey the little creatures heart and soul. Will it be able to share his thoughts with the beholder ? “
Molly Ellis is the needle felt artist behind the Irish brand Ewe Sir. Molly trained in Crawford College of Art, Cork in fine art. She always had an affinity with wildlife and it seemed like a natural progression to use raw materials from animals as her tools. “One of my favourite pieces is the Kerry Way, I only used raw Undyed wool for the majority of it. I was determined. After all wool should depict wool!”
“Some pieces are exceptional difficult as your working with tones such as the whale and I had to be creative in layering rather unusual colours and textures to create a sense of movement through water “
If you were hoping to grab an original you might be waiting some time. “I’m in a position now not to sell them, and also I want to give back to the animals that have inspired me. The next time I have a series originals I will be auctioning for environmental and animal causes. They will no longer be for sale in a conventional sense “
Molly and her husband are meticulous in the reproduction of the originals to prints. They handle every aspect of the work from photographing, print production and packing. Shane, Molly’s husband is a photographer in his own right and it’s how they met. He handles all the technical aspects of the business and together their different strengths allow them to produce prints that belie their nature. You’ll want to touch them, Molly describes. You will know they’re paper but the quality will make you reach out and see if they are as soft and furry as they look.
Their ability to handle the work from Start to finish has also allowed them to delve into new ranges such as cards, posters and Jewelry.
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