Meet the Artist
Claudia Paillao
Jewelry, Fiber Arts - Decorative
Claudia Paillao creates needle felted sculptures of birds using 100% sheep wool. She pokes the wool with barbed needles until the wool shrinks turning it into a solid piece. She also creates more functional art such as wool felted trivets, wool coasters, wool soaps and sterling and fine silver jewelry. Claudia’s nature inspired sterling silver jewelry is accented with gemstones and 24k gold and engraved and carved by hand.
Claudia was born in Coyhaique, Patagonia, Chile. While waiting to get her US residency, living in Montana, she began exploring plastic arts, which she had admired since childhood. She also created paintings, mosaics, and became a silversmith before playing with wool. She discovered the art of wool felting and decorated her first American Christmas tree with wool felted ornaments. Her husband's aunt Clare saw the ornaments and commissioned the very first order. This was the beginning of Patagonian Hands.
Follow Claudia on Facebook and Instagram.