The Studio Is Open

My friend, Jane came over this weekend for a Felt-A-Thon.  We have done this several times and it always ends up pretty intensive as far as what gets done.  This time was no different.  

I walked up and down these stairs more than 20 times getting things (tubs of wool, silk, ironing board, books!, pens, pencils, etc...you get the picture) moved in and *somewhat* organized.

But eventually I was ready .... or at least, semi-ready .... to work in the studio.  

 We had fun and we made a mess!

From this

To This!

Not quite zero to 60 in 2 sec....but it was pretty incredible. 

Jane was very productive.  And although her work is abstract and very different than mine, I enjoyed watching and talking to her about her thought processes as she worked.

  She did 2 pieces about walks in the woods through dappled light and over roots of large trees.  

She also completed number three in a series called Hole In The Tree.  She has these slated for a show, so I'm not revealing them.  

I did one piece that I am not sure about.  It is called the Watcher in the Lake. 
This was influenced by my retreat at the Huyck Preserve and is a very large piece for me.  It ended by about 21" x 49".  And although I'm not over the top happy....I'm always so critical of my work....I learned lots and lots about larger pieces and my nuno felt technique.

He is now drying and I'll do a minimum amount of stitching to fix his eye. 
The background was green and green-yellows, green-blues and it seems all the yellow washed away! 

I will sleep on it and see if this is The One...or I need another  attempt.
Hope you had as much fun this weekend. 

Oh, and I did pick up the studio when Jane left.  But it has been broken in.

Huyck Retreat

I returned last night from upstate New York.  It was a most astounding adventure.  My friend Diane and I slept in an old horse stall.  

But we still heard the barred owl hoot hoot hootoo at night and listen to the rustles of the night movers.  During the day we heard lectures by mycologists, the songs of birds, the lapping of the pond waters and the laughter of felting friends. 

Though we ate, hiked, felted and laughed together, we each interpreted the shared experience of Huyck's nature differently. 

We shared and talked and listened and supported each others explorations in felt.  

It was the most wonderful experience I've had with felting friends.

  

I will not  ever be able to write about the exchange that happened, I can show you a bit of the work.

I was inspired by the mushrooms.  We did mushroom dyeing and mushroom picking and I felted mushroom pictures. 

This is laid out and ready to felt.  I made small pieces but there are also banners and pods.  At the end of the week there was a small exhibit. 

And felting workshops.

But all good things come to an end and we had to say goodbye. 

Diane Christian, me, Sharon Costello, Kris Sandoy, Linda VanAlstyne, Carol Ingram, Lynn Ocone, Sharon Janda, Renate Maile-Moskowitz and Marianne DuBois. 

Until we meet again....