My Art........ Felted White on White

I am a dabbler. 

 I like to attempt many things, never really applying myself to one in particular.

Hence, I was not a good student.

One of the things I like to do is make felt.  I start with pure sheep wool that I buy carded and washed.  Before it is spun.  When I first starting felting I decided I was going to be "pure" in my art and use raw wool.  Far too smelly......the house smelled like a barn. 

Felt is one of the oldest forms of fabric.  Felting occurs when you add water, soap and agitation to wool.  You ended up with a lovely soft pure wool fabric. 

Anyone can felt.  It makes a lovely project for children.

For one of my larger pieces, I made 12 felted "tiles". 

All from a white Corriedale sheep.

Without using a stitch, only agitation, I created designs that I felted onto the back of my plain "tiles" that I have made first. 

The dyes used in wool making can be toxic, so I like to create with natural colored sheep.

The textures create enough shadows and dimension, that color is really not necessary.

When working with natural wool and no color, the challenge is you have to create something with relief to make it anything at all.  Far more difficult than working with colored wool. 

 Pattern is easier to create with color. 

I challenged myself to use only one material and one color.  Here I added some gorgeous lamb curls.

I mounted it on white, matted it white and framed it white. 

It ended up being quite large.  4' x 3'.  This piece was accepted into a juried art exhibition. 

It is a very organic piece and process.

Here is is in our reading room.  It has been resting on this table for 3 years.  I am not sure where it will end up, so I haven't put a nail in the wall yet. 

This is how I began.  Wool roving layered, then wetted with olive oil soap and water,

rubbed on a bamboo mat.

I am linking up today with Faded Charm Cottage for White Wednesday