I’m in love with natural materials like straw, wheat, dried leaves, and corn husks. They feel real, earthy, and full of history. These are the leftover parts of a harvest…they’ve been used for centuries to make outfits, art, and ritual objects. In general, I like using ‘non-art’ materials like plants, mechanic rags, thick papers like ‘chip board’ and ‘builder’s paper’ (from hardware stores).
New ‘Straw Bird’ look (mask for sale in store page)
What really inspires me is the meaning behind these materials. In old folk traditions, people believed that straw figures like corn dollies held the spirit of the harvest. I think of the Straw Bear Festivals (like the amazing one in Whittlesea, England), the masked dancers, and the way people used costumes to celebrate and commune with the seasons. Or it can just be a way to dress up and get weird in the streets.
Traditional English ‘Corn Dolly’
These materials don’t last forever—they break, fade, and fall apart. But that’s part of their beauty. It reminds me that art doesn’t have to last forever to be meaningful.
Studio straw suit work-in-progress
The Whittlesey Straw Bear festival, England. Dating back to the 1800’s. Still active today.
My ‘Straw Bird’ mask detail
Traditional Portuguese shepherd suit at the Lisbon ‘Museum of Popular Art’. Photo by William Haun