It’s always fun to discover new textile artists who find creative new ways to craft extraordinary things with needle and thread—or wool, in Lindsey Thomas’ case. This British textile artist is making a name for herself with her needle-felted wool characters.
Thomas’ art comes to life through the process known as needle felting. She uses needles from industrial felt-making machines to poke and stab at wool, catching the fibers and transforming them into 3-dimensional animal characters along the way.
Before turning to textile art, Thomas used to study illustration at Middlesex University. She enjoyed experimenting with mixed media during her time at university, but fiber art completely shifted her artistic approach and helped her realize one of her childhood dreams.
Thomas enjoyed drawing animals as a child and always wondered what it would feel like if they could peel themselves from the paper, and she got all the answers she was looking for through fiber art.
“I find joy in the way a pile of fluff can be magically transformed into whatever animal might be summoned from my mind. Once the face is there with eyes to peer at me as I stab life into the creatures, I fall a little bit in love with them,” explains Thomas on her official website.
