Jill Harrison – Wool Portrait Art From Sheep Fleece

Jill Harrison

Wool Portrait Art From Raw Sheeps Fleece

Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Thoughtful, Reliable, Shy

I live on a Scottish croft with my husband & grandson.

After leaving school I studied Graphic Design at Bradford College of Art for a while then left to bring up my four children; to return much later to take up sculpture.

I have always loved drawing from a very early age, mainly pencil sketching, but have never considered myself to actually be an 'artist' until recently when other people started showing an interest in my work.

AMY ©Jill Harrison

STYLE

I have devised my own style of work it's quite unique I think, at least it seems that the content is. I have seen others use the same medium but not in the same way.

MEDIUM

My medium is raw sheep’s fleece..... which I get from my own Hebridean and Shetland sheep.

marilyn monroe portrait Technique

Clean and card the fleece and lay on background in shape sometimes using hot iron. Building up layer upon layer, blending different colours to create tone.

THEMES

Mainly portraits of, pop and film icons, but animals as well.

Where do you find ideas for wool art?

Various ways, sometimes depends on my mood.. and all sorts of different things inspire me.

MARILYN ©Jill Harrison

Why do you create art?

I have to say, I have suffered with anxiety and my art takes me out of myself. I can spend hours listening to music and making my art and think of nothing else.

How often do you make art?

All the time, but I like to be alone to work so school hols are quite un-fruitful for me .

john lennon portrait What is the best artwork you ever created?

To date I think my best art work is 'Amy'
I really felt an affinity for the girl I suppose because she had the same problems as I had suffered within my own family.

JOHN ©Jill Harrison

What role does the artist play in society?

I think a very important one, most things in life involve art forms of one way or another ....life would be extremely dull without art wouldn't it.

Do you earn a living with your art?

Unfortunately not!
I would be very happy if I could though ...

rams head jill harrison Art Promotion

My website and Facebook page.

INFLUENCES

My main influence has been my friend who happens to be my husband as well. He is an artist also.

RAMS HEAD ©Jill Harrison

Please recommend a contemporary artist?

David Hockney .....love him
He was born the same place as me ...Bradford!
His more recent work is wonderful, landscapes of the East Yorkshire countryside more traditional I suppose than his former works which he did in L.A.

two faces of eve Please tell us something interesting in your life.

The way things turn out are odd aren't they....we moved to Scotland 8yrs ago to live the 'good life' but I have been so down missing my family and homeland intensely but out of my sadness have come the art works which I have thrown myself into to keep my demons at bay.

My art has really helped me it came from nowhere and it has now become a part of my life.

Did you ever feel like giving up art?

NO....... I find solace in my art.

girl in red dress Where do you see yourself as an artist 10 years from now?