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Mr Finch and the lost world of sleepy hares and magical moths

March 27, 2013

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Mr Finch lives in Leeds. Finch is actually his surname but everyone calls him mister Finch so he named his business just that. He is almost completely self taught in his sewing and creating skills and when he’s not making things (which isn’t often), he likes nothing better than to watch an old movie or read a book.

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He has a collection of dead insects, which provide inspiration as well as being first hand research material for some of his more insect based forms.

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He has a flair for hares, and it doesn’t stop there. These wall mounted heads are quite wonderful.

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He says ” My main inspirations come from nature and often I return to certain ideas again and again. Flowers, insects and birds really fascinate me with their amazing life cycles and extraordinary nests and behaviour. British folklore is also so beautifully rich in fabulous stories and warnings and never ceases to be at the heart of what I make.”

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There’s a quiet peacefulness about the sleeping, curled up animals and even if you’re not the worlds biggest fan of moths, you must admit that their furry, velvety textures and florally wings capture the essence of the creatures perfectly.

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” Humanising animals with shoes and clothes is something I’ve always done and I imagine them to come alive at night. Getting dressed and helping an elderly shoemaker or the tired housewife. Making things has always been incredibly important to me and is often an amazing release to get it out of my system. It’s a joy to hunt for things for my work…the lost, found and forgotten all have places in what I make. Most of my pieces use recycled materials, not only as an ethical statement, but I believe they add more authenticity and charm. A story sewn in, woven in. Velvet curtains from an old hotel, a threadbare wedding dress and a vintage apron become birds and beasts, looking for new owners and adventures to have. ”

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Mr Finch’s creations sell on Etsy or you can follow him on Facebook or on his Blog.

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Storytelling creatures for people who are also a little lost, found and forgotten… aren’t we all ?

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If you found this interesting, you may also like my post on Vraid Lee and Michael Sowa. The animals also reminded of ‘The Science of Sleep’ a film with Gael García Bernal and Hartley Hare from ‘Pipkins’ from my childhood memories.

11 Comments leave one →
  1. Valkrye permalink
    March 27, 2013 4:04 pm

    Absolutely brilliant and permeated with magic. Wonderful artist.

    • March 28, 2013 9:52 am

      Isn’t it lovely to get that feeling that some people are indeed magicians and can conjure up such feelings within us. Thanks for your comment.

  2. Sarah permalink
    March 27, 2013 6:43 pm

    Oh Mr Finch you create outstanding , beautiful creatures
    Thank you Craig for the introduction
    X

  3. 54paintings permalink
    March 27, 2013 9:21 pm

    He is brilliant- been a fan for a while.

    • March 28, 2013 9:51 am

      Beautiful indeed. I’d still be a little wary of such huge spiders and moths tho lol

      • 54paintings permalink
        March 28, 2013 12:01 pm

        The big ones are scary- I’m OK with moths outdoors, but indoors is another matter. Those whoppers would freak me out even in a great big field…

    • March 28, 2013 9:51 am

      Great to hear.

  4. Joyce permalink
    May 15, 2016 10:19 pm

    Oh what wonderful creatures.
    Over the years I have made many dolls and animals as they always appealed to me . Most of these were from someone else’s pattern. Just recently I made a large hare drawing my pattern as I went along . It was a gift for a friend and we both loved it .Just today I found your site and now I am wondering if this means I can no longer do some animals as they would look somewhat like yours. The next one I had in mind was a fox or a Doberman dog as we owned one of them for years. I feel that I cannot help but be influenced by your work.

    Joyce

  5. helen glasscoe permalink
    October 16, 2020 12:23 pm

    You’re work is without parallel. It is simply and utterly amazing, wonderful. I love your characters and the workmanship that goes into them.

  6. Anne permalink
    April 10, 2021 4:36 pm

    Hi! Do you sell these beautiful rabitts ? 🐇

    • April 10, 2021 5:05 pm

      I believe he does Anne, if you click on his name at the start of my post you can hopefully find an email to contact him. Thank you

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