Hatching an Idea | Spun Cotton Sculpture by Christy Strickler

materials: cotton, corn starch glue, acrylic paint

Size: 7 inches x 6 inches x 3 inches

Hatching an Idea sculpture by Christy Strickler showing a seated figure holding a nest with a newly emerged home, created with spun cotton and acrylic paint

3B The Idea Has Hatched By CStrickler Sideview 2

She sits in a quiet moment of reflection, holding a small nest in her hands. Inside it rests the first shape of a home that has just emerged. It is new, gentle, a bit wobbly, but full of possibility. She does not know exactly what it will become, but she feels its presence and its promise. By cradling it so carefully, she begins the slow, tender work of imagining a place where she can belong.

Formed with cotton, corn starch glue, and acrylic paint, this sculptural figure captures the vulnerability of a beginning. The nest symbolizes the act of holding space for an idea before it is strong enough to stand on its own. Hatching an Idea is a story about listening to the quiet truths inside ourselves and nurturing them until they grow into something real and lasting.

The Process

This piece is created with a spun cotton technique associated with handmade vintage ornaments and early European craft traditions. Using cotton, corn starch glue, and acrylic paint, I build sculptural forms that reflect my ongoing exploration of narrative and transformation in contemporary textile and soft sculpture practices.