I’ve been thinking about the work I’ve done in the past, some of which I have hanging on walls I walk past daily. One media I greatly enjoyed working with was wool. For several years, I used merino wool roving to make small felt wall hangings, purses and ornaments. I used the wet felting method which involves layering the roving and rolling it back and forth with soap and hot water. Tiny barbs on the wool connect, forming material out of the fibre. But knowing that doesn’t take away from the magical feeling of this process.
What lead me away from feltmaking was what lead me away from printmaking—physical pain. Feltmaking is very hard on the hands. However, I still long to make some small items and may do so again, working for shorter periods of time and enjoying the feel and look of the wool and the finished felt.
Arts of May 