Meet the artist creating 'posh paper mache' birds and animals in her South Staffordshire studio

Her ‘posh paper mache’ collection ranges from mini birds, including lapwings, magpies and blue tits and puffins to animals such as a cat inspired by her own black and white moggy, Jack Meower, sheep, a fox and a badger.

​Tania studied sculpture and painting at The Ruskin School of Fine Art, Oxford University, and has been working as a full-time artist for 30 years. Having explored many creative techniques during her career, she has spent the past 15 years creating her mixed media sculptures as well as vibrant paintings.

Her work is inspired by the animal world, the surrounding countryside and the coast.

“I have family who live on the Isles of Scilly, so a lot of my work is seaside-themed,” explains Tania.

Her little birds, which are approximately 11cm tall, are a huge hit with customers.

“I make quite a few little birds. I think I made 400 of them last year, so they’re really popular and I like them because they are nice and colourful to make,” says Tania, who lives in Stourton, South Staffordshire.

She also makes larger versions of the birds, medium-sized animals, and even life-sized sheep.

They all start life from a recycled wood template, which Tania designed herself. “I build it up with scrunched up newspaper on top and then I use a paper mache recipe that I have formulated myself to make the hard shell. They are quite solid when I’ve finished,” says Tania.

“When they are dry, I sand them and paint them. Then I will decoupage them with my own handmade decoupage papers and they are varnished to finish. It’s quite a long drawn-out process.

“The drying takes three or four days, but I can put them somewhere warm and that will speed it up a bit. The large ones take a long time because you have to make sure they have completely dried out.”

Tania, who shares videos on her website and on YouTube showing her process, says it gives her a lot of creative freedom to make “almost anything in all sizes and shapes”.

“I like paper mache because it’s accessible and it uses cheap materials – a lot of recycled materials, which are a bit better for the environment. It’s really versatile – I can make really small or really huge things,” she explains.

Alongside her painting, Tania also devotes time to creating her “paintings with personality” which feature her sculpture characters.

“I’ve always done painting and sculpture in conjunction but the sculpture proved more popular.

"I do love painting and the paintings are almost as if you put the sculptures in their own landscape or environment,” says Tania.

In 2008, she opened her first gallery in Bridgnorth and later relocated to the historic Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge.

During Covid, Tania began working from home and now has a purpose-built studio and gallery space, which is open by appointment, in Stourton.

A typical day starts with Tania updating her website and posting online and social media. “I will go to the studio at 11am and I will work until about 6pm.

"I’m really lucky I get to work full-time, earn a living from it and work from home. It’s a really nice lifestyle,” she says.

Tania, who offers online and in person workshops, also supplies her work to galleries and shops around the UK.

She is a member of the Worcestershire Guild of Contemporary Craft and will be exhibiting at the RHS Malvern Spring Show, which runs from May 7-10. She will also be at the MAC Arts Market in Birmingham on May 17 and Bridgnorth Open House Arts Trail on July 7.

See www.taniaholland.com or @taniasgallery_poshpapermache on Instagram.