I make clay dog figurines in my back-garden studio
Country Homes & Interiors|May 2020
Even as a child I was obsessed with dogs and used to make tiny models out of Plasticine,’ says artist Eve O’Neill. I have always made things.’ It was in her late 20s, when she went to Camberwell College of Arts to do a painting course, that her work became more refined and turned from hobby to career. As soon as she finished her studies in 2005, she upped and left London for a new life in Ceredigion.
SIAN WILLIAMS
I make clay dog figurines in my back-garden studio

‘My mum had always taken me to green spaces such as Epping and Richmond Park when I was young, so being in these places had always made me think I might move to the country at some point,’ explains Eve. She started her Welsh adventure in a tiny caravan on a farm near Aberaeron. ‘I loved living there; being surrounded by hills, just me, my two cats and a record player.’

The change of scene inspired her to incorporate the surrounding nature into her work. Initially, Eve started out needle-felting figures, including hares, foxes, mushrooms and birds, which she sold for many years through her Facebook page and country fairs. They inspired a cult following for their realism and character – many were presented as ‘faux taxidermy’, displayed in lifelike settings within glass domes as a nod to Victorian naturalists.

It was when she moved to Cardigan in 2015 that she started to model dogs. ‘I was ready for a change of medium and needed a new direction,’ she says. ‘I’ve always loved sighthounds – these dogs are characterised by their gentle character and elegance, traditionally hunting by sight and speed, rather than strength and endurance as other breeds do. I began to sculpt them out of paper clay.’ Paper clay is a clay that is mixed with shredded paper or other fibres. This strong and versatile clay is also lightweight, and it’s perfect for building ceramics of any size.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2020 من Country Homes & Interiors.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2020 من Country Homes & Interiors.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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