I make clay dog figurines in my back-garden studio

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

‘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.