Fiona Finlayson, 53, from Livingston in West Lothian, started making needle felting animals as a hobby, and the craft involves sculpting shapes and figures using wool and needles. special felting.
Ms Finlayson said she felt like “something was missing” until she started creating animals using the art form, which led her to start making animals from company and take commissions from clients in the UK and beyond.
Having started in 2018, Ms Finlayson now routinely creates around eight animals or pets each month to ship to her clients, many of whom request representation of their deceased pets.
She told the PA news agency: “At first I didn’t really understand how much it would mean to people.
“I have a dog, I have always loved animals and for some people losing a pet is horrible.
“If there’s something you can have that makes it a little easier, then it’s nice to be able to help create that and give it to someone.”
She said that as well as receiving orders from customers in the UK, she has also shipped her wool sculptures to people in Australia, America, Canada, France and Norway.
Having studied at Edinburgh College of Art, Ms Finlayson said she “always had a background in art” but ended up pursuing a career in finance, saying she fulfilled commissions alongside his full-time job.
She recalls: “I had seen an advert for a needle felting course and thought it looked very interesting and that we had to make a hare’s face.
“As soon as I did that, it was almost like something was missing.
“I ordered wool the same day I got home.”
Ms Finlayson said it would take between four and 15 hours to complete each piece depending on the task, creating sculptures measuring around 20cm.
-She often incorporated the fur of her clients’ pets into wool sculptures, as well as collars, to allow them to feel that a part of their pet is there.
“In some cases, I may also put some of the dog or cat’s fur in the portrait, so they know there is something there that actually comes from the animal,” he said. she declared.
“I can add necklaces and things like that.
“I really want to capture the character of the animal, that’s what’s important to me when I’m making it.”
Ms Finlayson said she created a Bichon Frize dog portrait for a client whose pet had died, saying they would talk to the sculpture in the morning and “it was almost like it was the dog” .
The artist added: “She had a puppy that destroyed the one I made for her.
“She wanted to do another one right away because she couldn’t stand not having it.
“It’s really nice to know that you’re creating something that means so much to people.”
As well as making dogs and cats, which cost around £130 including postage, Ms Finlayson said she “always likes to try different things”, such as sheep, owls, blackbirds, mice, squirrels and horses.
“I feel such a responsibility creating the pets and you want it to be perfect,” she said.
“But once you do it, it’s a really nice feeling of satisfaction.”
To learn more, visit: https://ffinlayson.com/.
