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Mastering the Niche
of Needle Felting!
Focus on Sharon Hawkes
Sharon's Mystical Bears
by Bobbie Ripperger
If I could request one special
power in my next life, it would
be to possess the gift to lift
a flap and peer into others’
minds, particularly, into their imagination.
I have the feeling that if it
were possible to look into
Sharon Hawke’s creative
core, I’d see fanciful trailings
and meandering pathways.
At the intersections that those
trails cross, seeds of creativity
would be budding like weeds
after a soaking rain.
According to Sharon, she
begins her projects with
simply a spark of an idea,
not an exact picture.
Her instinct becomes her
guide as she first carefully
selects an appropriately
colored wool, then begins
to felt.
Merino wools are her favourite.
According to Sharon, "The finished creation is soft and has very few holes. Presently, I'm learning
to sculpt with polymer clays -
a medium I hope to combine
with my needle felting to give
my work a little different look."
The delicate balance that
Sharon manipulates between
soft and bright shades,
creates a harmonious blend
of the Merino wool, so that
her works almost breathe life.
Based in New Zealand, Sharon
launched her bear making career
in 1990, originally creating bears
from real fur.
Her foray into the needle felting medium, emerged just one year
ago, when her Mum gave her
a kit as a gift.
Sharon quickly graduated from
that simple, easy kit to her own designs, incorporating prepared
fibers that have been cleaned,
carded and dyed.
"I have always had quite a liking
for wee, miniature bears, which
can be very difficult to translate
into fur," remarks Sharon. "After making my very first needle felted bear, I was hooked - no pun intended! Needle felting offers
me a freedom that allows my imagination to breathe life into astonishing creatures I could
not depict in fur!"
"Since I am bored quite easily,"
confesses Sharon, "I dearly love
the constant challenge of learning new techniques and methods
to "sculpt" in needle felting!"
As far as favorite themes, styles
or animals, go, Sharon reveals,
"Mine involve the fantasy realm. When I was younger, I would sit outside and quietly daydream
of dragons, princesses and all
the magicial wonders of youth.
I guess those daydreams never
left. To be able to make them
real brings so much joy."
Sharon believes her whimsical
and fantasy-related creations
"attain a soul that shines through
their faces."
Other aspects of her signature
style include big hands, feet
and eyes along with droopy
ears.
Sharon does not like, however
to completely box her style into
a corner, “I’d have to say, my creations tend to take on their
own shape, almost of their own
accord."
"I never know how they will
turn out. They just evolve! If anything, I’m just the facilitator:
my role is to guide the needles
into the wool.”
Most artists who excel in their
fields have mentors and Sharon
is no exception. She has two -
Kristen Canney and Barbara
Allen.
“I once emailed Kristen to
enquire how she got such
perfect sewing seams on her creations!! Well, she was very
stumped about exactly what
I was asking (since there are
no seams in needle felting),
and I still feel a little silly with
that one!", Sharon admits.
Sharon gives kudos to Barbara
Allen, from whom "I bought my
first needle felted kit. She has
been a wonderful help and
friend ever since.”
Sharon has her own advice
to share with would-be needle
felters, "Don't underestimate
what you can do with a bit
of wool and a felting needle.
Just let your imagination take
you to wonderous new places
and create what you think you
can't!
She does issue this warning,
"
Stabbing your fingers is a
huge problem. More so for me,
since I never use a sponge
as my work surface. Once
you grow accoustomed to the
slant of your favourite needles,
it gets better, but there is an
initial learning curve which starts
fresh whenever you start using
a new needle."
When it comes to bear making, Sharon says she does have
one unusual quirk, " I'm one
of those extremely strange
people who just can't stand
create in chaos! So, the house
or at least the room in which
I am working, has to be clean
and tidy!!!"
"Same thing with my tools
and supplies. They have
to be kept neat. Plus, I only
use the 'bear' essentials:
a felting needle, some thread
and a pair of doll or bear eyes.
Oh, and I can't forget my trusty
manicure scissors that are so
fantastic for trimming all those
wee stray fibres."
Of her personal favorite –
Elle the Elephant, Sharon
says, “Elle is the epitome
of what I always want
to achieve with my creations.
She evokes a big smile on the
faces of everyone who sees
her!"
Sharon continues, "All artists
want their creations to evoke
a response, even if it is just
a second glance.”
Sharon’s Mum would have
become the recipient of an
elephant on her birthday,
as she too loved elephants.
Unfortunately she did not live
to receive that most precious
gift. Elle was to be Sharon’s
"Thank You", for jumpstarting
her into a new direction -
a full fledged, constantly
evolving career in needle
felting.
"The high point of my felting
career so far," exclaims Sharon,
"was winning the First Place
ribbon and Best in Section
rosette for my very first needle
felted creation!"
When asked what her next
project will be, Sharon is most
likely to answer, “Anything
that springs to mind that
NEEDS to be created!”
Sharon work can be seen
quite often in Bears&Buds
photo galleries, on eBay (her
User ID is mysticalbears), and
on her website:
www.mysticalbears.com |
3428 Hillvale Road 
