Spotlight On...Lizzie Pearce

This week we talk to Lizzie Pearce who makes stunning needle felted creatures and other nature inspired accessories! (Click through the images to go to them on the site!)

How did you get into creating?

I grew up with my grandparents; my grandma was a prolific knitter and crochet maker  and my grandpa mended anything that could be fixed by epoxy resin glue and various sticky tapes, nothing went to waste. I emulated them from as far back as I can remember. I used to make houses for my toys from shoe boxes with cotton wool lined match boxes  for beds and tables from cotton reels. I have always loved making, it’s in my genes.

Do you have any advice for aspiring designers?

My advice is to be as original as possible and find your own style, even if that means it takes longer to find an audience, you have to believe in what you’re making to sell it convincingly.

What is it that makes you work in that medium?

I found needlefelting by chance, I was helping a friend with her final uni project and I noticed another student in the studio working with a huge bag of wool fibre, she was making really intriguing canine  sculptures. I was instantly drawn to the craft because as an ex-upholsterer I could see many similarities between the two processes. I asked if I could have a little play with the tools and materials and I was hooked! Wool is so wonderfully tactile and I love to see my ideas emerging from what is essentially fluff!

What is the biggest challenge you have faced?

My biggest challenge is one that I share with many artists and makers; I am not a natural business person.  I find it difficult to wear all the different hats required to run my own business, I am pretty disorganized and trying to do my accounts can bring me to tears! I would love to get to the point where I could afford to pay someone to do all of that for me.

How do you keep a good work/life balance?

To be honest I don’t really keep a good work/life balance. I have hermit-like tendencies and because my studio is at home I can never leave my work behind, it’s one of the reasons that I like to get involved in projects like Objet de Désir as I get to meet other creatives and can engage with my target audience.  But yes, I need do to get out more hahaha!

Do you feel more brands could be ethical?

Of course! It’s essential for all of our futures that businesses start to put the protection of our planet before profit!

Is being an ethical brand something you feel passionate about?

Yes it is. I buy my wool from a small, local spinning and weaving outlet in Clevedon called the Spinning Weal, there are a few reasons I choose to buy from them and not over the internet , firstly I can look at and touch the wool before I buy it but also, they have huge wealth of knowledge and a passion for their products and can tell me the different properties of the wools they sell and just as importantly, where it comes from. I try to use wool from British breeds wherever possible. 

Describe your products and what makes them unique?

Needle felting is becoming a very popular craft in the UK , I think what makes my work unique is a mixture of design and technique, my ideas are cultivated from dark fairy tale imagery, the animals I sculpt  are deliberately ambiguous; are they dead or alive? I rarely include the bodies of the animals I make to reinforce this question, this makes them more than just cute, furry animals. As a self taught feltmaker I have developed my own techniques. I like a really firm smooth finish to my work and I use the wool a bit like a painter uses paint, I think this has resulted in a unique approach that makes my work quite distinctive.

What do you think of Lizzie's work? Is there any other artists from the site you'd like to see us interview? Have any questions for any of the artists? 

Get in touch! 

Lizzie's work is available at our pop up store also so come down to get a closer look! 
(Cabot Circus, top floor, Bristol!)

Objets De Désir xoxo

FACEBOOK//TWITTER//INSTAGRAM//PINTEREST