The armature –– always my starting point. As I started this project a friend asked what kind of instructions I was working from, and was shocked and amused when I just showed her some photos on my phone. I can see from the photos what it should look like, and I guess I have enough felting experience to know, roughly, how to get there. Things don’t always go to plan, but with needle felting you can keep on adding and sculpting until you get what you want, and if it all goes to hell you can cut wool off, or start over (I’ve done both –– sometimes on the same thing!)
Here I’ve added core wool to the armature to start building the bison shape and musculature.
When the basic shape is made I start adding color and sculpting, adding bulk and form. Here I have the body mostly done. The head is next.
Bison use their large heads to sweep away snow in the winter and get to the grass underneath. They forage for 9 - 11 hours a day. The American bison’s ancestors came originally from Asia during the Pliocene epoch. Bison are America’s largest mammal bison. Bull’s can weigh up to 2,000 lbs and stand 6ft high, but 400,000 years ago its ancient ancestors were even larger. Not only is the bison huge, it is also fast and agile. It can run up to 35 mph, jump fences, and swim. So if you encounter one, stay well away!
Alongside the bald eagle, the American bison is now officially a symbol of our country. The bison is a powerful animal, physically and culturally, and one that was driven almost to the point of extinction by greed and hatred. Today there are bison in all States, including Hawaii. As a symbol, it is an acknowledgment both of our failings as stewards of this land, and of the great achievements that we are capable of when we take heed of our mistakes and correct them before it’s too late.
Bison Bison Bison 6” high x 8 1/2” long
Just need a few thousand more now…!