thinking on felt…

So it’s been a little over a year since i first started needle felting and I realize that I don’t know much about it. So I looked it up.

Did you know that felt is the oldest form of fabric? Many cultures have legends as to the origins of felt making. The story of Saint Clement and Saint Christopher relates that while fleeing from persecution, the men packed their sandals with wool to prevent blisters. At the end of their journey, the movement and sweat had turned the wool into felt socks. mmm sweat made socks, nice.

So what is felt? according to wiki, felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers. There are different methods of felting like wet felting and the carroting method of felting that is now banned in the US. Then there is the needle felting method I use that uses special barbed felting needles that are used in industrial felting machines.

As an artist, I find such satisfaction in using this method. I can get the details and the shapes I want along with the softness that I want from my plush figures. It is a little known art so far but I hope to elevate its use and its status as an art form. I mean who knew one could sculpt fiber! People have approached me for lessons, perhaps I’ll teach a needle felting workshop in the future.

idol worship…

Months ago I was approached by my friend Peter to be in a show he was putting together called The Astromonger’s Monster Challenge. Here’s the idea behind the show:
What arises when an artist is forced to follow instructions? How does an artist translate verbal description into visual images? This show challenges artists to create works based solely on brief descriptions of historical monsters, creatures, cryptids, and yokai. Each artist works from the imagination and in any medium s/he chooses to render the assigned monster. The artist agree not to engage in external research; they are barred from viewing existent renditions of these creatures whether online or in print. They work in a visual vacuum. The result is an archive of contemporary representations of the many bizarre and wonderful monsters of the world.

This was my creature description:
Airavat ( India )- They were known as the multi-headed white elephants that were usually the steeds of the Vedic gods. The white elephants not only had muti-heads but numerous extra limbs, trunks, tusks , etc depending on the artistic renditions. They were known as immensely powerful creatures ( near unstoppable to their destinations) and were always a symbol of royalty. there image has spread to other cultures as well including Thailand.

And this was the result:

There are 4 heads, each with a different expression. there are 8 limbs in total and it stands on a sort of point giving it an almost weightless look. I wanted to portray this creature as an idol, an object you would put on an altar. Airavat is a needle felted sculpture that took approximately 2 days to complete. It was sold at the show. May it bring luck and swift and unwaivering journeys to it’s new owner. Perhaps someday I can adapt this sculpture into a ceramic piece. I think that would look lovely.

art + action = Obama 08 piece

I dropped off my piece for the Obama show this morning. I hadn’t even thought of giving it a title. I couldn’t think of anything! I’m terrible at coming up with titles for my pieces. If i can i tend to just leave it as “untitled”. But I was so fortunate today that my good friend Shane was next to me when the naming crisis came up! It didn’t take him long to think of one either. So here it is, the Yes We Canon… Or is it Yes You Canon?

The piece is made of needle felted wool and has a magnet that mounts it on a steel base, with the Obama figure like a canon ball/daredevil signifying his quick shot to the top.

The Obama show opened this evening at the Showroom NYC and has been extended for another week. My piece is for sale. 90% of the sales go towards the Obama campaign fund.

creating a world…

Although I am a lazy and inconsistent blogger, I have not been lazy with my work. Actually it’s been really good. I have so many ideas and plans that now the problem is trying to find the time to do them all.

I have been working on a series of paintings/mixed media pieces for the last month. The idea was inspired by Sailor’s Valentine. I had done a sketch of a Victorian looking girl with Octopus for hair and simply loved her. Originally the idea was that she was the human character in my cephalopod world and I would make Valentine’s of her. But then I ended up making 4 different valentine’s and the world changed. I finished one of the four last night.

Done in acrylic over wood, it has real sea shells and a satin ribbon trim on the edge (which cannot be seen in this picture). I am in love with her. It took longer than I anticipated to finish her. The shells were of course time consuming to make into flowers and place. They are so tiny! The other three are already painted and varnished. Hopefully I can work on them this Labor Day weekend and finish them.

For some time now, I have had a few ideas and sketches of characters and environments. The problem was that they were all separate and nothing really tied into each other, at least that was the case until last night. I lay in bed, waiting to fall asleep and thinking about my plushes and other such things when I finally figured out how to pull all my worlds together into one. Though I still have to work on the details, I have this much so far:

In the beginning, there was only water. A vast world with one ocean. In that ocean lived 4 sisters and though they were happy most of the time they only had each other. Though vast, the ocean was fairly empty and the sisters were often bored. One day, the eldest of the 4 had wandered far, farther than any of them had ever gone. She came upon a beautiful spot full of orange sand. She sat in the center of this and as she ran her fingers through the sand, she noticed how well it clumped together. So she began to make shapes and stack them together, sculpting and forming what, even she did not know. But when she was satisfied with what she had made, she placed it on the ground and blew a soft breath onto it, bringing it to life. And that is how the first creature was made. It’s name was Octopie and he is forever in love with the sister that made him.

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