Jo Gardiner is a multidisciplinary artist. She rides the waves of numerous creative seas such as: needle felting, watercolours, and drawing.
What we immediately liked about her works were the animals. Gorgeous miniature ornaments made of wool, with tender and accurate appearances, impeccable plastic poses, warm colours mixed to perfection.
For us she has created three little animals from the woods and forests. A badger, a fox and a little rabbit. All made with some of our best-selling fibres: Bergschaf, Corriedale, extra fine merino and the New Zealand carded wool blend Maori. How cute are they?
Did you know that badgers have a voice very similar to ours that allows them to make funny sounds and that they love to play around? Also that foxes use their bushy tail to sleep because it is so soft? Lastly, hares are vegetarians and that, in addition to their speed, they also have exceptional hearing that allows them to hear even the faintest of sounds?
Jo Gardiner is not just a needle felting artist; she has other passions too. Let her tell you more about herself in the text below.
I am an artist who lives and works in Staffordshire, UK. My family consists of myself, my partner, a funny cocker spaniel, and an elderly cat.
My career breakthrough was in 2016 when I started working as a full-time artist. Initially painting and drawing, and later discovering the needle felting technique and I never looked back. I find needle felting so therapeutic that for me it has become a kind of beneficial drug, and wool is such a versatile medium.
Drawing inspiration from the amazing place where I live, from photography and nature documentaries, I spend my days mainly creating wool sculptures. My favourite subjects are wild animals and landscapes. I still have a passion for drawing, and I also enjoy other different creative means. I am very lucky because I am surrounded by woods, hilly farmland and a wonderful lake. As a result I am never short of ideas.
My wool sculptures are small and rich with details because I find that it is the details that add character to my creations. However, I do not always aim for realism, indeed I sometimes like to grant myself a poetic license to simply create in my own style.
I sell my soft sculptures, paintings, and kits both online and at local markets.
When I’m not at work, I really like teaching needle felting to people who are curious about it. That’s why I regularly organize courses as a teacher, both in my area and in the surrounding ones. I also love taking long walks, gardening, traveling, and reading. Sometimes I just don’t have time to everything!
If you enjoyed reading about Jo Gardiner and her needle felt animals and would like to try this fantastic felting technique yourself, then we suggest reading the article on how to make a goose with needle felt.
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