Wispy Willow Creations – Debbie Meziane-Joynson

Old school road, Llaingoch, Holyhead, Ynys Môn, LL651DH Biography

I am a self-taught willow & wire sculptor and basket maker. I run my business, Wispy Willow Creations from my work studio on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales,

I grow my own willow locally. I have over 20 different varieties and I use organic principles to help encourage a habitat for insects, birds and small mammals. I grow unusual varieties, so that I can add colour and interest to both my basket work and sculptures.

I have always had a passion and talent for anything creative from a very young age. I carried this passion on into high school and A levels, with the intention to go on to university and study fine art but then decided to keep my artistic and sculptural endeavours as a passion and hobby deciding to focus on a more scientific degree path and going into a career in education. In recent years I have returned to and made time for my love of sculpting. I have also taught art and crafts locally to primary aged children, sharing my passion and enthusiasm for all things creative.

I have always found sculpture easy, almost instinctive especially when creating animal forms.My first ventures in sculpture were in clay, but in recent years I have found creating sculptures out of willow to be my niche. More recently I have also ventured into stainless steel &copper wire sculpting, I work totally from imagination, I follow no patterns or formula, preferring to work by eye and touch, using my skills to manipulate the willow rods using bare hands, letting the sculpture evolve organically and grow into a thing of beauty and form. I try to give my sculptures a feeling of movement and expression of the animal depicted within.

I create unique bespoke animal sculptures in willow and wire for the garden & home and in recent years I have after much resistance caught the basketry bug!

I like to use different varieties of willow so I can choose from a large palette of colours and textures.I make horses, deer, farm animals, smaller animals, birds and architectural statement pieces.Most are life size and are a labour of love, taking anything from a few days to a month or more to make.

One of my favourite works was my first ever attempt at making a willow sculpture, a large life size stag. I was advised by family and friends to start small with my first endeavours. This was my version of small, as I was so enthused with this new medium in sculpture. Since then I have gone on to make many unique animals, a life size horse, giraffe, pigs, iguana, dragons, cheetah, tree frog, marmots, beaver, swallows, bees, you name it, I challenge people to indulge their imagination!

Bring your garden to life with a beautiful willow sculpture. Commissions undertaken.

I also teach workshops to adults, children, school and community groups, get in contact for more info. Happy to travel to your destination subject to minimum number of people, as long as I can park and stay in my motorhome somewhere nearby! I travel with my 3 willow loving cats, who have more of a following than me!

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