Featured Maker // Floccus & Blot
Floccus and Blot - Regan Weber
Artist & Maker
Regan Louise is an artist and maker originally from the US, now living and creating in Glasgow. She is the face behind Floccus and Blot selling beautiful intricately detailed handcrafted needle felt animals, watercolour paintings, and pen and ink drawings.
Regan grew up in the US in an 1865 farmhouse that her family were constantly renovating and repairing. At a young age, she was working with materials that ranged from paint to steel, helping her family tile bathrooms, paint murals, and re-roof the house. It was this hands-on childhood that made her deeply attached to her home and to making.
In 2017, Regan graduated from Valparaiso University in the US with a BA in Fine Art, focussing mostly on drawing buildings and depicting the human connection to them. She went on to study for an MSc in Architecture Conservation at the University of Edinburgh. After her studies, Regan returned to the US and worked for a restoration company repairing a variety of buildings across the US.
Now in 2021, Regan is back in Glasgow, has had a tiny civil wedding, adopted a dog, and opened up her shop Floccus and Blot.
What do you make, where and which materials do you use?
I primarily create with watercolours, ink, and wool roving (which is ethically sourced from a small business in England). I fell into using these mediums because I was curious and tried my hand at them. I began to love how watercolours would flow across the paper and how wool fibres could knot together and be sculpted into lifelike forms. I travel everywhere with paint, pens and wool. They give me the freedom to create whenever and wherever I can.
Can you explain where your business name comes from?
I wanted a business name that subtly described what I used to create and also left a bit of room for growth and exploration. My husband, who is a bit of a word nerd, came up with Floccus and Blot. Floccus means a tuft of wool while blot was able to represent both a blot of ink or a blot of watercolour. I couldn’t have imagined a better name for my shop.
Tell us about your inspirations
I find inspiration everywhere, but what I create is inspired by the phrase, ‘A sense of place.’ What makes a place important or feel like a safe haven? What makes us have such deep attachments to buildings or landscapes? What places make us stop and pay attention even for a second?
I find details, textures, colours, animals, people, and objects all have this role that makes a place memorable to me. In my bio I mention ‘treasure boxes filled with all the curios and memorabilia collected during a life.’ It’s all these objects that are seemingly meaningless to the outsider, but they bring memories flooding back to the owner.
It’s this feeling of attachment to place and to memories that inspire me and make me want to recreate them. I like to think that some of my creations will end up in someone’s treasure box someday, and I hope that what I create can bring them back to important parts of their own life.
“I find details, textures, colours, animals, people, and objects all have this role that makes a place memorable to me.... it’s all these objects that are seemingly meaningless to the outsider, but they bring memories flooding back to the owner. ”
Tell us about your latest collection
I have recently created my Pocket Pet collection which is a series of tiny wool animals that fit in the palm of your hand and can be carried in your pocket. When I first created these, I was carrying around a tiny wool bear that I had created on a whim. I would reach in my pocket, find that little bear, and feel this sense of nostalgia, comfort, and playfulness.
It inspired me to create a series of other animals that are meant for kids and adults. They are entirely hand felted by me and come in a hand painted matchbox. At the moment, the series has a fox, otter, raccoon, and a badger. However, I have upcoming plans for several new animals as well!
Why is creativity important to you?
Creativity is a way to think about and depict the world we live in. Through creative pursuits I have been able to find a deeper significance in our places, be that built ones or the natural ones. I have been able to recreate memories for myself and others in images and wool sculptures. Creativity is a way of looking and seeing an amazing amount of beauty in our lives. It is especially important now, when the good of the world can get hidden behind the negative.
What is the hardest thing about running a business on your own? And what is the best thing?
Total creative freedom is the best part of having your own business. You get to define your values, goals, and your own work hours. It might be hard work, but it is work that I believe in which makes a huge difference.
The doubt and unknowns are the hardest parts of owning your own business. It is hard to know if you are doing everything correctly and it’s way too easy to compare yourself to other amazingly successful makers.
Follow Regan’s work on social media: @floccusandblot
Visit her online shop: etsy.com/shop/floccusandblot
