Rhug’s sheep wool used to make unique bowls and vases
FOR the first time ever, organic wool, taken from the Rhug Estate’s flock of sheep, has been used by a local Denbighshire artist to create a range of unique and decorative vases and bowls.
Ellie Derbyshire, from Hafotty Interiors, visited Rhug back in the summer to collect wool from the farm’s flock of North Country Mules and spent time sketching the herd of bison for a separate range of artwork which is also unique to Rhug.
All pieces created by Hafotty Interiors are uniquely designed, handcrafted or repurposed by Ellie.
She gets her inspiration from the beautiful north Wales countryside, with many of her pieces incorporating locally sourced materials and found objects.
This makes each piece completely unique, with a soul, history and patina that cannot be replicated.
Graham Webster, general manager of Rhug Ltd, said, “We are delighted with the beautiful range of artistic items Ellie has produced for us to sell in the Farm Shop. Each bowl and vase is a truly unique piece of art.”
The range of artwork includes a copy of an aged historic map of Rhug, with the bison sketches were layered over and hand-cut into it.
These were completed in varying shades of grey to create silhouettes and finally finished with grasses in the foreground, created using vintage text and hand-finished papers.
The small print run of this original artwork is finished on a textured canvas and are available exclusively to buy from Rhug Estate Farm Shop.
Ellie Derbyshire said: “I love working with natural materials and the Rhug’s wool has such a beautiful texture to it.
“The wool has to go through many hand preparation processes before I can finally layer it up and combine it with resin, in order to create the look of the Welsh misty mountains that inspired these pieces.”
She continues, “Sketching Rhug’s bison was challenging. They have such a dramatic, angular form that I needed to capture in order to do justice to this beast.
“All the work I create is infused with a little bit of my passion for nature, with the hope that it evokes a similar passion in others.”
The decorative vases and bowls, as well as the prints in various sizes, are available in Rhug Farm Shop, near Corwen, Denbighshire.