Artwork

Over the course of the summer the Felted Flock has been set up at four different pubic events. When I sit down to my table to work on felting sheep I am often reflecting on the immense feedback of both fans and critics. Since I’m often reflecting on it I thought I’d write out a few thoughts from my perspective as the maker.

I felt immense nerves going into each event; each time my hands were shaking as I opened the first box and began setting sheep on the table. It takes time to set up over one hundred characters and people begin to notice well before I was finished. Onlookers sidled up to the table to look, some stopping to chat as I dipped back into my box for yet another sheep.

There has been a multitude of responses to the Felted Flock, and opinions on what should happen with it at the conclusion of the project. Some people gave it a glance and passed right on by, the look on their faces suggesting they determined it to be come cute toys on the table. But the magnitude of the project, the sheer number of sheep on the table, grabbed the majority of people and gave them pause. Those who stopped to look further were delighted to see the variety of felted characters when they thought there was only sheep.

The wee fox has been a highlight every time and I’ve lost track of the number of people who have asked to purchase her. The pair of coyotes in the stand off with a pair of guardians receives an exclamation of some sort and is often pointed out to a friend to be sure they see it also. The sheep are a delight too many people, and they will notice how they all seem to be individuals with individual expression and personality. People will look over and over again and eventually find their favourite sheep. The shearers with sheep sat in position between their legs astonishes many viewers. Very few people find all the guardian dogs in the display which gives me no end of satisfaction. And the response to the scene with the dead ewe have been as varied as they come, from furrowed brows and a huff of displeasure, to a dawning realization that what is on the table is a visual display of a full circle story of life,

For me, the Felted Flock is a display of all that takes place before fibre ever reaches our hands. Some viewers miss this story line altogether but I would say the majority of fans take notice that a story is being told here. Many, many people lean in to ask questions about time invested, how they are made and purpose of the project, and when it is further explained they are further astonished.

As the maker standing at the display of her making, I am as astonished by the depth of responses as the viewers are by the display. After any showing of the flock it takes me a couple days to absorb what has occurred and it feels more and more as though I am now on the periphery of this project, looking in at it as a viewer might and watching to see it what it does next.

I have not counted how many felted sheep there are for awhile now, my preference is to keep my head down and felt away because I’d like to be done. I am afraid of not being far enough along to finish even though I am not beholden to any finish line except the one I gave myself. I think the urge to finish is not so much to meet a timeline as it is to wrap up with a project that has consumed two years of my artistic timeline. As I inch closer to finishing I must continually remind myself to slow down, to let myself feel the enormity of this project and enjoy being part of it while still pushing to the finish.

The idea to needle felt a flock of sheep first arrived three years ago. I dismissed it. The real flock of sheep was around 500 head, already down from its previous 600+
There were 13 dogs here.
Coyotes were ever present.
The prairie was becoming dry.
A year went by and the idea was still rambling around in my head. I made one sheep, then three, then a guardian dog… I thought at the least it could be a way to promote wool.
Drought came in the time between then and now.
The real flock of sheep is down to175 ewes
There are 11 dogs
Coyotes are still abundant.
Prairie is hanging on.
And just recently I entered the Felted Flock into an art show, displaying what became of a crazy idea, sharing a visual story of this sheepish life.

The flock drew attention to itself. A popular comment from adults: absolutely amazing. Followed by: how much time does it take? A popular comment from children: oh this is so cool. Followed by: how do you make these?

Now that the show is complete and I have a moment to digest i thought i would share a little about my entry and the artistic side of this project from my perspective. I recognize that sharing some felted sheep online can come across as cute play and many will pass it by, however, there is something deeper going on here that I know now is experienced when people see the flock ‘in the flesh’.

The art show was an adjudicated event and also the first opportunity to display the flock in public. Each entrant was allowed to enter a series of five pieces. The set up of the flock was done in five scenes which merged into one another as real life with them does. 1) At Winter’s Pace 2) The Wool Harvest 3) Lambing and Grazing 4) Coexisting 5) Of Circular Nature

There are also other nuances to the set up - a fox watching in the background, a guardian dog sitting near the dead ewe, sheep with different wool type, animals with different character. All meant to be absorbed by the viewer as they take a longer look.
By the way, I did a practice set up of this at home in order to figure out who was going where and how the story line could connect as seamlessly as possible and still fit on an eight foot table. That took an entire morning to figure out and not all the sheep are present.

Once entered into the show I mentally propped myself up for receiving the adjudicator’s critique; necessary to helping one grow and expand. I prepared for the possibility of being told that this was not art and not a valid entry. But I did not consider the opposite result. I did not consider that the Felted Flock display might take a winning spot, which it did.

I am very pleased of course, and a little taken aback, that this wee flock and the creation of it was deemed worthy of such recognition. Onward we go.

This is not the finish for the Felted Flock. I still intend to carry on to 150 sheep.

It's an odd feeling to head out in the am and feed the real sheep and then head off to town to watch the reaction to seeing the felted ones. I am ever so grateful I went and for the chance to watch people take this in and enjoy it.