The natural cycle of felt
- Elise’s felt sculptures are inspired by the natural world
- Her creations are built on wood and wire frames encased in wool
- Mushrooms and mycelium are key sources of inspiration
Elise Campbell’s whimsical, brightly-coloured felt sculptures offer a playful take on scenes from her local landscape. She sources inspiration and materials from the natural world, whose cycles and seasons are reflected in her own unhurried approach to creativity. Wool, silk, needle felting and wet felting techniques are among the key features of Elise’s practice. Mushrooms, generally oversized with beautiful detailing, are a prominent theme that runs through her work. “I am endlessly inspired by their beauty and texture, and I find the idea of mycelium speaking to other kingdoms fascinating,” she says. Elise’s work was shown at the Collect Art Fair in London in 2025.
Interview
- When did you first discover felting?
- My older sister, a knitter and yarn dyer, introduced me to it in 2015. I had been crocheting for two years by then. She wanted me to try felting, and bought me a little kit for owl making. I followed the instructions, made 30 owls, and could not stop!
- How does your creative process unfold?
- First I do a lot of research. I start by building an armature with wood and wire, which I wrap in a core wool. Then I wet felt a piece of fabric to go on top of that structure like a skin. I usually finish with a hot iron or by singeing the fabric to clean it up.
- Why is the natural world so important in your practice?
- It is my collaborator because of what I use and what I make. My materials come from nature, I create with them, and one day, they are going to return to the earth. It is important to me that I do not make things that are going to last forever and become pollutants.
- What aspects of your craft surprise people the most?
- People cannot believe that my mushrooms are actually real mushrooms. They think I am imagining the indigo milk cap! I often have to explain that not only does it grow here, it is also edible. They are often surprised that my pieces are made of wool, too.
Elise Campbell is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2018 and she started teaching in 2018
Where
Elise Campbell
