I am drawn to the ancient practice of taking a raw animal fleece (usually sheep) and with the aid of water and some soap and working with my hands, transforming the loose fibres into a new and solid textile — felt.
I draught out fine wisps of wool ‘tops’ into layers. The number of layers will depend on what I am creating — two layers for a thin, drapable felt for scarves or garments and up to ten (or more) layers for a very firm sculptural piece that needs to keep its shape or is large in size.
Then using water, soap and agitation with my hands, the wool fibres are encouraged to entangle, eventually they shrink (by up to 50%, sometimes more) and create a firm piece of felt. Using firm ‘resists’ which are removed before the final fulling stage allows me to create even more complex forms at different stages of the process, I can add different textiles, stitches or even embed items to create texture and dimension in the final piece.
Creating the work is a slow, meditative process and although I can control the amount of wool and the materials used, the end result can not be guaranteed.
My inspiration comes mainly from nature and objects around me, their colours; shapes; textures and patterns are important factors in my work. I continue to explore new techniques and ways of combining found objects into my sculptural work, exploring, presenting and promoting wet felting as a contemporary fine art form to a new, modern audience.
I have participated in collaborative exhibitions in Australia, internationally and online and currently exhibit my work at the Studio Gallery in Yallingup and the Christian Fletcher Gallery in Dunsborough.
Awards include the inaugural Small Sculptures Award in Sculpture by the Bay 2019 and the Small Sculpture Award in 2024; and Excellence in Design (non functional) in the Melbourne Teapot Exhibition in 2019.
This is the first time participating in the MRROS.