Artwork

Felted Tasks

I’m dropping in with an update on artwork. It’s been a fruitful week with an art show featuring a collection of artists in the local gallery and time spent visiting with artists as a result. I sat down to the computer this evening with the intention to write about it because it was a special experience but words won’t come. I’m pretty sure writing in my paper journal will do the trick but for now, and for the sake of touching base and keeping up, switching gears it is.

On the ranch the routine is aptly routine. The sheep are grazing so our chores are light, consisting of feeding guardian dogs, checking on the flock twice a day and occasionally rolling out old hay for bedding. There is casual work/training with a couple stock dogs and the ever, ongoing work with the new house which Allen mostly takes care of at this point.

In the studio it feels more like computer time than creative time as I work through a long list of computer related tasks in trying to align online spaces necessary for sharing art and photos, all the while wondering where in the world am I going with this?  Some days I’m not sure which way to turn. When that feeling surfaces I slip into making the art – because I’ve grown comfortable with that aspect whereas the promotion of it is still so awkward.

Beginning of needle felting onto plain white wool canvas made of Clun Forest wool from this flock.  Second canvas in the background is made from Border Leicester wool. 
My mom asked if I would make a Christmas decoration, not having done so before and not having a clear idea of what style of decoration to aim for, I made a few. This was welcome, freeing, creative time. 
A pair of wool liners I made for inside my boots. I’ve been wearing these for a couple weeks now and oh they are toasty warm.

You can see by the creative outlets that I’ve been jumping around a bit, a sign of the unsettled feeling growth has brought.  

Regular posts of artwork can be viewed on the Wool, Stone & Prairie Facebook page and Instagram Feed

One Piece Three Versions

rough drawing of Sarplaninac dog

Sometimes a piece of artwork is held off because I won’t decide whether to draw it or felt it. Sometimes ranch jobs are stalled that way as well. A weird way of procrastinating and one I’m well practiced at.

For a little while now I have felt this repeated nudge that said to do both a drawing and a felting of the same piece and I repeatedly told it: that’s nuts, I hardly have time to do one and drawings take so long. 

Then one morning, after needle felting on the piece shared in the last post, I found myself digging into my color pencil sets. I pulled out the rough drawing of the Sarplaninac dog I was felting and transferred it to black paper and began to draw. I didn’t stay at it for very long before slipping back to the felting but I had started, the nudge was awakened. A few minutes at a time, stretched over the course of several days it morphed onto the page.

When it was done I was so utterly satisfied, and for the first time in a long while, it had nothing to do about the result.  The result didn’t matter, the accomplishment of a process did. The heeding of the nudge did.

Oddly enough, when I’m in the pickle of deciding whether to felt or to draw a particular piece, it is all still one idea. In my mind the felting or drawing is the same piece, the same dog in this case, and even somehow the same outcome. So it’s striking how different the three versions are.

drawing livestock guardian dog

needle felted fibre art

 

Serious Encounter, Felted Artwork

Readers of my past blog may recall a story about meeting with an explosive Sarplaninac guardian dog. I met this dog while at a shearing day. i stepped out to take photos and while doing so this dog approached from behind but I didn’t know that. While still looking through the camera lens I happened to swivel around, panning with the camera to see what I could see. We were a great surprise to each other and she blew up in a knarly fit of barking and just about made me pee myself. She gave me fond memories of meeting my first Sarplaninac guardian dog, and a few reference photos for this piece of felting.

While I finished the piece I have not come up with a title for it yet. All I’ve got so far is Serious Encounter.

needle felted fibre art

18 x 16 inches
For sale, $215 CDN

Targhee, Corriedale, and Romney wool were used in making this one. Background is wet felted.

wool fibre artwork