Now the barn owl is sitting to one side, there is a hare in the making. Using the same technique: alpaca fleece as a core, inside a recycled stocking; then shaping with courser crown needles and finally layering with blended merino that is being fine needled into place using a mix of 40 gauge spiral and 38 gauge triangular needles. The finer technicalities of needles aside the biggest challenge so far has been the anatomy of the beast. Where do the legs and ears lie when the hare is at rest. The number of artists who pose the animal with back legs to the side, as if at rest is quite high. Yet all the photographic research I have done shows no evidence of hares this way. So through a combination of the internet, Durer’s picture and the book Hares of Derbyshire I have formed a rough sculpt. It is not accurate but seems to sit well visually.
I have the back legs and haunches to add before concentrating on the fine detailing.
Stories from the Hills 