Using our creative side is a skill we sometimes take for granted. The hustle and bustle of normal day routines can drown out any out-of- the-box ‘Voila!’ moments that many of us can potentially have. What happens when creativity and artistry coincide?
Well, you get the very talented Anna from North Yorkshire, England. She has been able to combine her creative DIY infatuation with her artistic vision to create modern-day sculptures and trinkets made of woven rods of willow.
Her brilliant projects have inspired artists and crafters alike to come together and embrace the hands-on experience. The following 50 works of art represent her bread and butter. We have no doubt that her works will stir you deeply and might even motivate you to rise to the challenge!
1) The Growth Of A Deer
This project shows the developmental stages of a deer from it’s early years as a fawn, to it’s adolescence, and finally to when it has grown full antlers. The structural integrity of each sculpture looks intact and well balanced to give it an organic appeal. Not to mention, the size and length of each deer looks almost to scale and gets more impressive the more you gaze at them.
2) One Brushstroke At A Time
Here we see Anna using her brush to tidy up her work. As you can see, this process requires meticulous attention to detail and a good eye for determining what fits and what doesn’t. Anna shows passionate dedication to her craft and you can easily tell by the beautiful upright deer in front of her.
3) Birds Of A Feather Fly Together
Anna shows variety in her approach with the creation of these three lovely birds. Notice how precise she scaled the sizes of each one to mimic the actual size in real life. Inspiration comes in many ways, so is it possible these could be the three little birds that visited Bob Marley on his doorstep?
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4) Animal Farm
This picturesque assembly of farm animals shows just how much range Anna has in her craft. Practically, these models can be used both for barn-themed events or even to fill up a room at an art gallery. This is a great example of how malleable and bendable the willow is and what it can create when placed in the right hands.
5) Bambi Is That You?
Not quite Bambi, but something of the like. This lone baby deer looks as if though it’s yearning for its mother to come back. Anna did a good job in evoking the feelings of isolation with this poor, lonely looking fawn.
6) The Willow Fox
This fox was creatively made to resemble a real one and boy has Anna done a fantastic job! The predominantly reddish body with the white streaks of fur by the whiskers and tail truly put the finishing touches on an already alluring sculpture. We see just how careful you are about your designs, Anna, and we only gaze and appreciate that much more.
7) A Wild Willow Horse
This horse is simply doing its best to feed itself and get the right nutrients. The elegant body posture accurately shows exactly how a horse would eat during his meal time. Anna draws from many sources of influence, even if it may seem as superfluous as a horse eating lunch.
8) Ode To The Willow Tree
Anna paid homage to her own crafting material with this one. She created her very own willow tree using the materials from a willow tree. There’s a deep sense of appreciate every artist tends to share and this was definitely a moment of gratitude for Anna.
9) A Willow In Sheep’s Clothing
This sculpture shows a proud sheep staring face to face with the field she’ll be inhabiting for many years to come. Don’t be ashamed if you have to look twice at it to figure out whether it’s real or not. Another exceptional piece created to life by the talented Anna.
10) This Little Piggy Went Home
This piggy looks like it’s stuffed it’s belly all right! The artist made sure to plump this pig up since she had the willow rods to spare. This was a must have for Anna’s farm animal collection set. Let’s just hope a big bad wolf doesn’t come to knock his house down anytime soon.
11) Modern Willow Leaves
This exhibition shows the eccentric nature of Anna’s diverse artistic arsenal. It appears to be an object that can hold contents while also looking like it could be a representation of a banana peel. Either way, it’s got us thinking deeper about what we’re looking at and something tells me that Anna intended for this all along.
12) Sweat Pea Obelisk
The creative willow obelisk is a representation of the monolithic structures that were originally raised in Ancient Egypt. The project was made for a friend of Anna’s that resides in Edinburgh. She’s excited for the finished product to be shipped out and delivered to her friend’s estate. We’re just excited to be marveling at her awesome work.
13) Here Kitty Kitty
This docile kitty is patiently sitting for his meal to pop up. Although we know it won’t, one can’t help to be awe struck by the unique sense of realism these willow sculptures possess. I’d keep my eyes peeled in case this cat makes any sudden movements.
14) Rudolph The Willow Reindeer
The deer in this image looks like a true guardian of the forest. It’s upright position with its chest sticking out shows it’s more gutsy than its previous renditions. Feelings of fierceness and courage stir in you as you look at this 4-legged figure for awhile.
15) The Look of Accomplishment
This is the face of resounding success. Here, Anna demonstrates a joyous smile on her face from realizing her finished product. You can tell that this is what she loves to do and works very hard at it.
16) Variety Is the Spice Of Life
Here’s a peek of Anna’s hidden batch of goodies. She has explored with different shapes and sizes to create organic figures for all to see. In addition, this also reveals Anna’s dedication to her craft and how much she is willing to put in the work to get the results she’s looking for.
17) Willow Rabbit I
Another addition to Anna’s barn animal lineup is the rabbit. The most striking feature of this creation are the ears since they look much longer than usual. You should whisper around this little furball just in case it somehow listening in to your conversations.
18) The Willow Woman
A crowd favorite, this incredibly realistic project exudes both the strength and gentleness of a woman. The broad shoulders gives it a stronger foundation and really puts a bold appeal to its presence. This is definitely one of Anna’s finer works.
19) Willow Hedgehog
This abstract looking cone device seems to be a woven hedgehog. It doesn’t quite strike a resemblance, but for all we know it could be a working progress. Anna took this up and down the country to promote Grazersltd, an environmental friendly pest control product that she advocates for.
20) Willow Nest Pod
Being the environmentally conscious person that Anna is, she decided to make a nest pod for her children to use outdoors. Weaving this together was a cool process and even used vivid greens to brighten up this creation. We’re sure anyone would find this to be a lovely surprise if they ever stumbled upon it.
21) Perched For The Fun Of It
These two lovebirds are sharing a moment together. It’s a wonderful reminder of what strong emotions such as love can bring to our lives. They look towards the horizon as if yearning to snap into life from the barriers of the willow bark.
22) Working Hard, Or Hardly Working
Here we see the team of aspiring willow weavers coming together to make their own creations. Anna is not the only person that wants to share her passion for willow weaving to the world. Each person was tasked with making a willow star and it looks like progress is definitely being made.
23) Willow Rabbit II
24) Stretch Your Wings And Fly
This bird is a true testament to how powerful these willow sculptures can be. The huge wings give it a dominating effect over the audience and it’s as if it’s about to take flight any second. The coolest part about this creation: Anna created this bird as a kite to fly!
25) Willow Basket
This basket was made for assisting with a Summer exhibition at The Bathhouse. This multi-purpose basket can be used to hold several contents and also carry large articles. It’s cheap and lightweight, so it’s very convenient for those wanting a fashionable basket.
26) Willow Butterfly
The butterfly was set up in the garden to attract other friendly pollinators. This symmetry and its wing patterns are truly the highlight of this project. One thing to also look at: the wings seems as though they are about to create a gust, which makes it seem like the butterfly is about to take off any second now.
27) Willow Bumblebee
This giant bee is really intimidating if you don’t realize what you’ve stumbled on. Anna has an eye for realism, and this bee is no exception. The dark and light patterns mimic that of a real bee’s yellow-black coat, so the pattern is true to its nature. We can definitely see this one causing some panic in the shrubbery for some unsuspecting visitors.
28) Willow Wabbit
It seems Anna is a real big fan of the rabbit. This one in particular seems to be the one that looks most similar to the real life model. The ears length have improved from its other models and it no longer looks like this bunny is from outer space. A fantastic example showing how practice does indeed make perfect.
29) Willow Dragonfly
This willow model was a head turner at the Stripey Badger Bookshop and Coffee shop. It’s miniscule design caught the attention of the audience and many wondered how it was made. A true artist lives for the moments their artwork can impact people’s lives in anyway. The fact that this dragonfly had people questioning the process was enough satisfaction for its creator.
30) Willow Stag
This definitely beats having an actual decapitated head as a trophy in your living room. The elegant stag shows its class by elevating its horns up high exactly as nature intended. The curvature and detail of each line really puts things into perspective for how much work this project took.
31) Willow Interior & Garden Design
One of many exhibitions that Anna has modeled for showing, this interior and garden design lineup was made for those looking to spice up their home decor. The showcase ranges from small willow trinkets like baskets, to elaborate designs like willow sculptures of swallows. The event was open for all to see and was even having some products go for sale!
32) Maintenance Is A Must
There is no finished product without the editing portion. For Anna, this involves going back to her works and making sure everything looks clean of any sharp edges. It may seem like a tedious thing to do, but its all worth it in the end once to finished product illuminates the room.
33) The Stalking Horse
This beautiful autumn inspired horse is another brilliant example of Anna’s fine work. The horse perfect encapsulates Anna’s favorite season of Autumn. Legend says if you hang out with the stalking horse for too long, it will come stalking you in your dreams. Oddly enough, we don’t mind this beautiful creature coming to visit.
34) Willow Wreath
This easy to make willow wreath is a treat for any special event! Use it for a wedding, birthday, special event, or even as a prop for school. No matter the occasion, Anna knows how to create the perfect design to fit the ambience.
35) Willow Tennis Rackets
We hope Roger Federer is reading! These eco-friendly willow tennisb rackets bring out the competitive tennis player in Anna. it’s probably not encouraged that you actually use them, but instead keep them somewhere where anyone can mistake you to be the next big tennis protoge.
36) Off To The Next Show
This horse is getting moved over to Skipton Castle for a willow sculpture event. Anna contributes many of her projects to a variety of events to help self-promote and also decorate the events with a taste of the outdoors. This majestic creature will once again be appreciated by the those who take an interest in true craftsmanship.
37) Trust The Process
An intently focused Anna works carefully on her willow horse. Here we see how the artist takes her time to manifest her ideas into life. This is where all the failures happens as well as the success of learning from ones past mistakes. It’s the most important moment for an artist to decide to grow by being risky, or remain stagnant by being comfortable.
38) Miscellaneous Works
A brief look into the many different styles of works that Anna has produced. From horses to birds to small clothing apparel, she’s truly done it all with her capabilities. The grind doesn’t stop here and we can’t wait to see what the future brings for this talented young artist.
39) Willow Christmas Trees
It’s not a willow set without including the most wonderful time of the year. These Christmas trees are adorable to say the least! The cute design with ribbons and circular white decorations makes this project sparkle in any home that’s ready for the holidays.
40) Willow Dragonflies
These willow dragonflies are made easy enough to be used as stepping stones for kids to learn how to weave. Anna uses easier designs such as the dragonfly to help inspire the next generation of creatives. Well done in being such a positive influence on the children, Anna!
41) A Peek Into The Lab
This is another sneak peek into another instructional class led by Anna. Here, we see three women working with the willow roots to try and create their envisioned product. Getting comfortable with your creativity starts at some point, and what better time than right now.
42) Willow Mother and Child
One of Anna’s best works is this willow mother and child tenderly holding each other’s hand. The organic tone of the subjects really provoke deep feelings of nostalgia to a comfortable time in childhood. The project was designed and created for Northdale Horticulture.
43) Gathering Supplies
This image shows Anna retrieving more supplies for her work. It’s interesting that she uses nature and the elements in order to create her artwork. She makes a great point about keeping everything eco-friendly so as to not damage the environment while she expresses herself.
44) Willow Horse Head
This gorgeous design won the Silver award at the Harrogate flower show. The design is really well defined and is nothing short of excellent. We’re a bit disappointed that this one didn’t take the cup but there’s always next year for Alma and her stunning collection to steal the show.
45) Willow Horse Head II
This same horse head will be used for a mock up project to help give it more of a presence. The border will convey naturalistic planning including lush grasses and vivid autumn colors. It was too big of a project for Anna to just let it down so she decided to go ahead and give it more attention. You’ll have to check her page out for the finished product
46) Willow Kites
47) Willow Fish
These cheerful fish are a joy to look at. Inspired by a fisherman’s catch, this project attracts any and all marine life enthusiasts. Be sure to check out the sale at WRENS in Ripon as these will be going up for sale there.
48) Willow Archway
For any romantic date or outdoor wedding, why not give this willow archway a try! It’s sure to bedazzle the occasion with an entrance that can’t be overstated more. The natural feel to this archway really brings out a gentleness to those who go and pass underneath it.
49) Willow Hearts
These were the hearts are sure to fill up the room with love and kindness. These little trinkets are used to spread happiness to those looking for creative inspiration. These are perfect for the kitchen or even living room areas and even also for that special someone.
50) Willow Stars
Willow Stars may not shine as bright as real stars, but they sure draw you in like the night sky. This set is ideal to decorate in children’s rooms or even hang from the ceiling to give your house a more vibrant taste. We’ve always looked to the stars for guidance, so really this is just a nice gesture from Anna’s creative world.
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