Diane Christian Landscape felting workshop

I just attended a felted landscape workshop by Diane Christian.  Here are 2 of Diane's felted landscapes:

I choose a simpler subject for my landscape: rows of cultivated plants backed by mountains.

First is laying out the dry wool roving.

Then wetting down the wool.

 The dried wet felted base.

Beginning the needle felting stage

 Finalizing with needle felting.

It was great fun and Diane had great insight into working with the development of distance. Coupled with an on line color course I recently took from Carol McIntyre, also very worth while, I feel I have expanded my ability to manipulate color in wool, thread and/or paint to enhance perspective and distance in my works. Joanne

Hybrid Felting

 I just returned from a wonderful workshop on Hybrid Felting given by Anne Vickery Evans as part of the SDA (surface Design Association)/SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) conference in Philadelphia, PA. Hybrid Felt also sometimes known as Nuno Felt is the bonding together of wool fibers with other fibers and/or fabrics. This is me using a thin layer of wool roving to attach small squares of colored silk charmeuse to a background fabric of hand dyed silk gauze.

Felting Wool Boas 2+New Beadwork

I have been remiss in not including in the felt boa shots my own example. I did mine in all white expecting to dye the entire scarf after felting. However, it turned out so Victorian in white that I am loath to mess with it. I am toying with the idea of lightly tea dying it for an antique look.

I have also included my latest beadwork ventures. My love in beadwork is using brick stitch to actually draw figures or motifs. I am including "Swingtime" a brooch I did a while ago based on  a Fred and Ginger partnership. I just completed "Top Hat" and "Putt'n On The Ritz", brooches after a sole Fred.

I have also purchased several stoneware pendants from Artbeads and used the motif etched and painted in the pendant to create a surround for the focal bead.

Photos Felting Wool Boas

Here are the photos of us felting wool boas on a center strip of silk chiffon:

                                          

I Just Felt Like It--Studio Tour

The fantastic panels pictured in my previous blog sessions of Dogwood in the four seasons were a collaborative effort of the Potomac Fiberarts Guild felting subgroup "Daughters of Genghis Kahn" (as we call
ourselves). If you missed them at our Saville Gallery show 'Just Felt Like
It' in Cumberland, Maryland you will have another opportunity to view them
at the Countryside Artisans Tour April 15, 16, 17. See also work of guild
members: Rae Cumbie, Jeanne Bohlen, Nancy Pollack, Grace Mahanes, Joanne
Bast, Roz Houseknecht, Renata Maile-Moskowitz, Kathy Korin and Bev Thoms,
all at Tiewyan Artisans. *
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*For more information: www.countrysideartisans.com. Click on Artisans,
Tiewyan Artisans and then *studio notes**
*This is a self-directed driving tour of 12 studios scattered in the rural
countryside of (mostly) Montgomery County.*

Below are a few of my small felted hangings that will be available at the studio tour. I hope any of you in the area will be welcomed at Bev Thoms Studio, Tiewyan Farms. Joanne

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I am also happy to announce that I will be the featured blogger on the Potomac Fiberarts Gallery blog for the month of April. Join me there at http://potomacfiberarts.blogspot.com/

I Just Felt Like It Exhibit

The I Just Felt Like It Exhibit is now open at the Saville Gallery, Cumberland, MD. Since I posted photo sequences of the creation of the "Spring" nuno felted-wool on tulle-banner, I thought that I would post a few photos provided to me by Roz Houseknecht of the finished banners.

Summer, Fall and Winter: Felted and fulled

Allegheny’s Arts Council’s Saville Gallery in Cumberland Maryland.


The show runs from 10 March until 2 April 2011.

Saville Gallery is located at 9 North Centre Street, Cumberland, MD 21502; 301-777-ARTS; www.alleganyartscouncil.org

Gallert hours: Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM; Sat 11AM-4PM

Banners in place: Fall and Winter

 Summer

 Spring

Members of the Study Group participating in the exhibit include:

Joanne Bast, Bev Thoms, Roz Houseknecht, Zita Simutis, Dalis Davidson, Sharon Janda, Kathy Korin, Grace Mahanes, Paige Garber, Renate Maile-Moskowitz, Francine Stefancic, Terri Fisher, and Jeanne Bohlen

Here we are at the opening:

Sorry, but I happen to be missing from the opening as I had already left on my trip up the coast of Norway--more about that later. Joanne

I JUST FELT LIKE IT: Felting exhibit #3

Now the work begins. Roz Houseknecht and Dalis Davidson carry the rolled and tied wool on tulle piece outside and drain off the excess water.

Roz, along with Paige Garber, Bev Thoms and Sharon Janda begin rolling the wrapped log back and forth with their feet.

 The roll is reversed and rolled in the opposite direction.

 After a spate of rolling, the log is carried back inside and unrolled on the set of tables. The design is checked for shifting and tweaked back into position. Dry spots are rewetted.

 It is recovered with the plastic sheeting and rerolled into a log starting from the opposite end and retied.

 More rolling to continue the felting process. This will be repeated several times.

 The roll containing the Spring panel is wrapped in black plastic garbage bags for transportation home where rolling will be continued until the wool is totally adhered to the tulle backing and to itself. At this point the process of fulling will begin where the panel is beaten and thrown to encourage the wool to draw up and shrink. The 19-20 foot long original size will end up 15 feet or less. Come see the finished 4 seasons panels at the Saville Gallery in Cumberland, MD March 10- April 2 along with many individual examples of felted work.

Again, many thanks to the Barnsville, MD Town Hall for the use of this wonderful space. Joanne