THE CREATION
The portraits were created using washed wool from white and coloured sheep, no dyes were used and the colours are all from natural wool. Patience was a very important factor in creating these art works, where Doris may have spent all day putting wrinkles on a face but then the next day pulled them off again because she wasn't happy with the result. The task for finding the right piece of wool with the right colour could also take time.
After creating a background of washed white wool which is fluffed and glued on to a prepared board, minute fibres of coloured wool were then placed on that. Each fibre was put on separately and trimmed with scissors; the wool can easily be pulled off as it is not glued. As wool has scales, one piece clings to the other. Doris would have to roll the wool between her fingers to do such things as eyelashes, wrinkles and moustaches. A frame with non-reflective perspex was used to clamp a picture in place to press the wool flat, often to see if the arrangement was working.
As a challenge Doris began creating portraits of animals, followed by portraits of prominent people. In this way the general public could judge as to whether she had been successful in achieving a good likeness of the subject. It was the positive reaction of these people that encouraged Doris to continue building her collection.
In 1993 the last wool portrait was completed. Each portrait took approximately three (3) months to complete, not working on them full time. Doris spent over 14 years successfully creating these rare pieces of art, during which time over 30 portraits were completed. A number of her more well-known subjects corresponded with Doris and requests to display the portraits were also numerous, some even being displayed at the Parliament House in Canberra. The art works were never created for profit but to benefit charities and special projects by raising funds for example, the Urana Aged Hostel. In 2000, Doris kindly donated one of her wool landscapes to the Riverina Cancer Care Centre Appeal which rose well over $10,000.
In 1996 Doris retired to Lockhart and in 2004 kindly donated her wool portrait collection to the Lockhart community.
Contact details
Lockhart Shrie Council
02 69205305 (ph)
02 69205247 (fax)
mail@lockhart.nsw.gov.au
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