Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! St. George woman uses wool sculpting to create intricate animals

Jul 01, 2023

ST. GEORGE —From realistic wildlife displays to mystical dragons, one woman is sculpting art out of wool. And chances are, you’ve never seen it before.

“It’s what I call wool sculpting,” Debbie Hussey, owner of Deb Hussey Creations, told St. George News. “Because that’s what you’re doing — sculpting with wool and painting with wool. And I just love making animals, they’re my favorite thing in the world.”

Hussey said while felting has been around for a long time, the art of needle felting is fairly new and started in the early-80s.

Raised by a mother who was a professional seamstress, Hussey said she didn’t love sewing clothing herself. Instead, she loved making stuffed animals. While living in Northern California, she transitioned from making stuffed animals to crocheting them.

One day, Hussey said her sister asked if she had ever heard of needle felting, which led her to conduct her own research.

“I’m like, ‘OMG, I can make an animal that actually looks like an animal, not just a crochet animal?’” she said. “So I ordered my first kit, and I’ve never stopped since.”

She began selling her crocheted animals at arts and craft shows in Tracy, California, where she made friends with a neighboring vendor. Creating wool art on the side for fun, the vendor encouraged her to start selling her needle felting.

After taking the leap, she was invited to showcase her art at a gallery in Livermore, California, where she displayed both her crocheted items and wool sculptures.

Hussey said the animals are created in a few different ways.

Some have wireframing armatures or “skeletons.” The core wool, which she buys from her mentor in Maryland, is wrapped around the armature and creates rib cages, tendons and muscular areas. The animals made with wire armatures can be posed for display.

“The needle is actually what makes the wool stay in place,” she said. “It’s sharp and has barbs on the end and the strands of wool have scales. The needle comes down onto the wool by hand and interlocks the scales on the wool. It’s not going anywhere.”

The variety of colors on each animal comes from different colors of felt. If she doesn’t have a color she needs, she mixes her own wool with a drum or hand carder. Each animal takes a significant amount of time to make by hand, such as a bear sculpture, which took approximately 50 hours.

While many people mistake her wool sculptures for toys, she said they are made to be displayed, not handled. Due to oils on the hands and fingers, touching the wool repeatedly can compromise its integrity and destroy the piece.

“This is years’ worth of learning different techniques and so on,” she said. “These aren’t toys. Obviously, when you have 50 hours into something, that is not a toy and I don’t mass produce.”

She loves creating wildlife and domestic animals, she also loves the freedom of creating mystical creatures such as dragons. While animals need to look a certain way, dragons come from the imagination, which allows her endless possibilities.

Inside her home studio, Hussey has a memorial wall that consists of one 2D and three 3D renditions of the dogs she has lost. And they appear to pop out of the frames.

Not only does Hussey create the unique art herself, but she also offers wool sculpting classes. The classes have been offered both inside her home and at Red Canyon Company in Hurricane. To inquire about group or individual training, email Hussey.

“I’m just trying to get people interested in the art, the idea of wool sculpting,” she said. “When you’re punching that needle into that wool, it’s very therapeutic.”

For more information on Debbie Hussey and her wool creations, visit her Etsy shop or find her on Facebook or Instagram. Message her directly to see all available art for sale.

“This is what I do every day,” she said. “I love it. It’s my love.”

Photo Gallery

Debbie Hussey takes a photo with her needle-felted moose that won second prize, St. George, Utah, Feb. 18, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Debbie Hussey, St. George News

Debbie Hussey works on a wool sculpted dog at her home studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A variety of wool sculpted animals by Debbie Hussey sit on a table inside her home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Debbie Hussey talks about her wool sculpting at her home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A dragon made by Debbie Hussey is displayed in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A 2D dog created by Debbie Hussey is pictured, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Debbie Hussey, St. George News

A dog created by Debbie Hussey is on display, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Debbie Hussey, St. George News

A variety of needle-felt animals by Debbie Hussey sit on a table inside her home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A memorial wall features four dogs needle-felted by Debbie Hussey in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A variety of needle-felt animals by Debbie Hussey sit on a table inside her home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A needle-felt bear by Debbie Hussey sits on a table inside her home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A variety of wool colors sit on a shelf inside Debbie Hussey's home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A dragon made by Debbie Hussey is displayed in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A variety of wool colors sit on a shelf inside Debbie Hussey's home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

A needle-felt owl and bear by Debbie Hussey sit on a table inside her home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Debbie Hussey receives awards for her wool art at the Red Cliff Gallery in St. George, Utah, December 2022 | Photo courtesy of Debbie Hussey, St. George News

A variety of crocheted animals by Debbie Hussey are seen inside her home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Crocheted characters from the movie Zootopia are seen inside Debbie Hussey's home art studio in St. George, Utah on March 22, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

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