Textile Moths

One of the really wonderful things about Pinterest is that I come across images pinned by other people that speak deeply to my heart and soul. I found this incredible soft sculpture moth on a mixed-media board and learned that it was created by a fantastically creative artist who lives in Leeds, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, who goes by the name of Mister Finch.

Mister Finch

Mister Finch is described like this: “Scraps of thread, fabric and paper are stitched and pulled into fairytale creatures looking for new owners and worlds to inhabit. They hide in the woods, behind masks, some have died along the way and are buried under spoon lockets. Finch works alone and makes everything himself by hand in a studio full of books, glass jars and naughty cats.”

Textile Bees Made From Fake Fur

Mister Finch explains the source of his creativity: “My main inspirations come from nature and often I return to certain ideas again and again. Flowers, insects and birds really fascinate me with their amazing life cycles and extraordinary nests and behaviour.
British folklore is also so beautifully rich in fabulous stories and warnings and never ceases to be at the heart of what I make. Shape shifting witches, moon gazing hares and a smartly dressed devil ready to invite you to stray from the path. Humanising animals with shoes and clothes is something Ive always done and I imagine them to come alive at night. Getting dressed and helping an elderly shoemaker or the tired housewife.”

Fabric Mushrooms

Mister Finch describes his creative process: “Making things has always been incredibly important to me and is often an amazing release to get it out of my system. Its a joy to hunt for things for my work…the lost, found and forgotten all have places in what I make. Most of my pieces use recycled materials, not only as an ethical statement, but I believe they add more authenticity and charm. A story sewn in, woven in. Velvet curtains from an old hotel, a threadbare wedding dress and a vintage apron become birds and beasts, looking for new owners and adventures to have. Storytelling creatures for people who are also a little lost, found and forgotten…”

Large Textile Swan

I relate to Mister Finch because I share some of these same feelings with him. I often feel a little lost, found and forgotten and viewing Mister Finch’s creations evokes in me a desire to be in the English countryside, traipsing along a lonely country lane, discovering hidden nests, finding a clutch of small eggs and perhaps seeing a spot of parkland that has been forgotten.

Textile Owl

To learn more about Mister Finch, you can find him on Facebook, Pinterest and his Etsy Shop.

Soft Sculpture Fox Heads

Have a lovely weekend being creative, getting lost and found and perhaps escaping, with the mundane details of your life to be forgotten if only for a little while.

Moth and Coach

xo,

Christine Barker