Philly Hare creates her unique feltings in a small cottage in Ness, a crofting community at the northernmost point of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. She uses the traditional needle-felting technique to combine threads of fine merino wool and mulberry silk into dramatic land-, sea- and sky-scapes. Philly selects wool of colours and textures which reflect the natural wildness of this remote island. The silk picks up the gleam of sunlight or moonlight on water or clouds.

Philly also creates cyanotypes, using a very old photographic printing process that produces prints (photograms) in distinctive blues. The word cyan comes from the Greek, meaning “dark blue substance.” The process was invented by Sir John Herschel, a brilliant astronomer and scientist, in 1842.

She creates these images by placing natural objects – such as leaves or feathers - directly on photosensitive paper, and exposing them for a period of time under the sun (or, in Lewis, more often a UV lamp). The chemicals are then washed out and the blue can be adjusted by adding toners into the process. Other techniques involve bubbles, clingfilm and turmeric!
Each cyanotype is a unique product that cannot be replicated.