Wet Felting
Wow October disappeared under clouds of wool! For many years I have wished to be able to felt and a friend gifted me some merino felting wool recently. I had no idea how to start but a few tutorials later and I dived in. I made my first wet felted neck warmer. Followed swiftly by a second pushing into new techniques and incorporating hand dyed wools of my own. Another tutorial later and I had to try making a bowl. I love bowls. I cracked it! I love affair is born. I seem to have spent most of October creating felted pieces, learning techniques, tested my own ideas and understanding how this wonderful and ancient way can be used. I wonder is it in my DNA because although it is a new direction for me, it doesn’t feel new, it feels like I have known this deep in my core. I am so delighted to now have the time and materials to explore and create. I like to incorporate found objects in my mixed media work so it made perfect sense to add natural objects like driftwood and fallen pieces of wood to my vessels. Copper wire and leather too.
The colours in the land here are so wonderful and the Irish wool is perfect to create pieces with the colours of the land. Sunsets too and colourful skies inspire. I want my pieces to have a story, something to say as well as being pleasing to wear or have as a decoration.
I have since making these, watched a bunch of tutorials on getting better edges which will be super useful, however some of my pieces are purposefully shaped like the tops of mountains!
This is a journey I am so enjoying and the pieces that are not sold at the 3 upcoming seasonal fairs I am attending, will be available for sale. Any comments? as always below thanks so much!
Karima Rebecca Powell Artist 