I don’t recall if I told you, but last winter, I made my first grant application, the Mearl K. Gable II Memorial Grant through the Handweavers Guild of America. I found the notice to apply just a couple of days before the application deadline, but thinking nothing ventured, nothing gained, I sat in front of my computer for a good while and typed away. I applied in the hopes that I might receive funding to attend the Felters Fling, which for the past ten years has been organized by the very talented, Sharon Costello of Black Sheep Designs.
Sharon has been instrumental in bringing gifted instructors from around the world to the Felters Fling for many years. This was Sharon’s last year of organizing the Fling and I was just dying to attend, knowing the reputation of this event. Not to worry if you’re interested in attending in the future, Sharon has passed the baton to two very talented, energetic feltmakers. I’m not sure if everything is signed on the dotted line, so I’ll leave the naming to Sharon, but all is under control;-) In addition to this being the last year under Sharon’s direction, the line-up of instructors was superb. When I read that amongst the mix of instructors, both Anna Gunnarsdottir (Iceland) and Marjolein Dallinga (Canada) were going to be teaching, I just knew that I had to find some way to attend. I have been a huge fan of Marjolein’s (you may be familiar with her amazing felt creations for Cirque du Soleil) almost since the outset of my learning to felt, and came to know of Anna through Nicola Brown, who recommend her very highly. Thank you Nicola…As always, you were absolutely right.
So, let me backtrack here. Much to my surprise, I did receive the grant which covered most of my expenses for the Felters Fling. I was over-the-moon happy to open their letter, and feel so blessed to have been granted this award. A huge thank you to the Mearl K. Gable Memorial Grant for believing in me enough to fund my dream of attending the Felters Fling. And, another note of thanks to those who were contacted to vouch for me as references. I am indebted to you...And, you know who you are...Thank you dear friends.
Now, on to the Felters Fling: My long-time buddy, Heather Stump Karlheim, and I were off on a marvelous adventure driving to gorgeous Snow Farm in Williamsburg, Massachusetts. It would be hard not to have a great time with Heather...In fact, I don't think that it would be possible...She's a joy! We decided to pick up a few supplies prior to our Fling arrival as we still had a space the size of a handkerchief to squeeze one more item into Heather's car. With that in mind, we so stopped at nearby felter’s paradise, New England Felting Supply (NEFS). It’s a wonder we left with a dime to our names…It would be like setting a kid loose in a candy shop, as they have everything imaginable here…an art gallery, fiber, books, gadgets aplenty, etc., etc. It was a good thing that we were on a deadline to get to the Fling, or we might still be at NEFS! Oh, and we ran into feltmaking dynamos, Jean Gauger and Andrea Graham inside, as well as owner of NEFS and author of Uniquely Felt, Christine White.
Once at the Felters Fling, Heather and I settled into our room, got to know many of our fellow workshop participants, enjoyed the hat competition (see Heather’s blog for a peek at her fun, award-winning masterpiece), had a marvelous dinner, and then turned in early, so that we’d be all ready for our next full day of class.
My first workshop was entitled Form in Felt: Discovery and Exploration with Marjolein Dallinga. We were invited to use our creativity in a myriad of ways, not just technique but through the use of emotion/feelings. Marjolein helped us to expand our thoughts on colors and how they evoke different outcomes in the final work. While we created folds, craters, holes, and other forms and textures, we learned from Marjolein, that “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” This was an advanced course, and therefore Marjolein asked us to take risks, and that we “feel our inner voice.” What I am reminded of when thinking back on Marjolein’s class, were her wise words that, “Every energy that you put into your wool, your work, you get it back.” Whether that be negative energy, positive energy, friction, sadness, etc. … Feel it and go with it. As we sat around a table, outside in the glorious sun, at the conclusion of our 3-day workshop, Marjolein closed with these words, “What do you give to the world when you make things?” How do you change the world with your art?” As you can tell, these are not questions that can be answered in a day, nor in the time that I’ve had to ponder since returning, but will be words that I hear as I continue to process. Thank you Marjolein for planting these seeds.
My next workshop was with Anna Gunnarsdottir, all the way from Iceland, and Pat Bennett, resident metal and glass artist at beautiful Snow Farm, where the Felters Fling was held. This workshop was entitled, “Sculptural Felting”. Both Anna and Pat are marvelous instructors, kind, patient, and oh-so-talented. We made felt sculptural art pieces incorporating metal elements. I learned a bit about welding and brazing from Pat…Mainly learning that it’s much harder than it would seem, but enjoying it greatly. My sculpture was designed to be free standing, and once wired, will be a table lamp. I so enjoyed this class, and as with Nicola, would highly recommend a class with Anna. You won’t be disappointed. Oh, and I can't forget to mention that we had a surprise visitor stop by Anna's class, the famous Beth Beede. Many of you know Beth as the developer of the "felt hats on a ball" method, but she is also a marvelous felter and human being. So happy that I was able to meet you, Beth.
While at the Fling, I reconnected with lovely old friends, Robin Blakney-Carlson of Lucky Stone Feltworks, and Lindy Huber, and met up with some of my wonderful on-line friends, Diane Christian and Marianee DuBois, just to name of few. What a great group of women!!! The only woman that I could have done without was old Hurricane Irene, who caused Heather and I to cut our trip a little short in order to miss the impending rain/winds. Oh, well, it definitely didn’t damper our Fling experience…I’d go back in a minute! Thank you Sharon Costello, and to all of the fantastic instructors, and my very delightful friends, for making this such a grand experience...I'll never forget it!
Just a few weeks ago, I attended Jone Rakoski’s Creative Felt Gathering, which I’d also attended last year. I again had the pleasure of taking class from Elis Vermeulen (the Netherlaneds) and Chad Alice Hagen (North Carolina), having taken class with both of them last year (and wouldn’t have missed it again for the world). I love them both!!!! Elis is a treasure...such a kind, compassionate, strong person, with wild feltmaking abilities. You’re just instantly drawn to her. She’s also, along with Cynthia Reynolds (Norway), founder of FeltUnited, which just occurred on Saturday, October 1, 2011, and brings feltmakers together in various ways from all around the world...See the link for more information...It's a fantastic event!
Chad Alice Hagen, well I’m sure you know, but I’m going to say it anyway…Funny, witty, wise, dye-master extraordinaire, author of several feltmaking books...She does it all! Speaking of Chad, if anyone knows where I can get an extra copy of Fabulous Felt Hats…I’m on the hunt for one…Especially one where I don’t have to take out a second mortgage on the house;-) The book is out of print…Why, oh why, don’t the publishers re-release this fantastic book, so it’s available to one and all???
I also took class with the fantastic felt instructor and vessel maker, Pam Macgregor. We made cool felt cuffs using prefelt and glass inclusions in her workshop, and also tried our hand at making fused glass with Jone, which was also great fun.
And, lastly, but certainly not leastly, I had class with the joyous and oh-so-kind, Amira Mudfaery (who’s no kidding, a real live faery, wings and the whole works).
Oh, so I fibbed, not lastly, but getting close...Thank you to all of the fantastic feltmakers who attended the CFG, too, and made for such an enjoyable week...Joni, Victoria, Kristi, Eugenie, Linda, Heather, Jan, Kim, Vickie, Margie, Vasanto (who celebrated her birthday with us), and many, many more...Too many to mention...But those just off the top of my head. It was a wonderful week....Fantastic beyond belief...Thank you Jone.
Oh, don't think I mentioned what we made: With Elis, we made bags from wool roving the first day and created raw fleece bags the second (this was my first exposure in working with raw fleece and while a teensy bit smelly, I hear that if you work with it enough, it actually starts to grow on you....Baaaaaaa). I surprised myself and enjoyed working/creating with the raw wool and came home and dyed two of my bags a deep, rich red for FeltUnited. Thank you dear Elis for this fantastic introduction to a new method of felting. I miss you bunches...And, yes, I know what you told me about having overseas friends...And, you're right, it's hard to let go. But, I'm pretending that you're just on vacation and that I'll be having coffee and a gooey "whatchamacallit" with you soon;-)
With Chad, we did resist dyeing, both a cool bark scarf and numerous sample pieces using all kinds of metal resist pieces (I particularly liked the vegetable steamer pieces which left a really cool design) to incorporate into other works. Perhaps next time I'll try some of your other finds, Chad...Must be that I was in the mood for veggies! If you're ever in the area, "The tall blond who makes strong coffee" always has a pot brewing;-)
Thank you so much Elis and Chad...You never disappoint, always inspire, and leave me wanting more. Are you free next week?
And finally…The greatest impact of feltmaking in my life…the dear friends that I’ve made. I never imagined when I started feltmaking that I would be so blessed with such close friends, but I absolutely have been. I had the great pleasure of meeting two of my wonderful on-line friends, Victoria Marshall Clegg of North Carolina, and all the way from the land down under, Joni Cornell, Australia. We’d never met face to face, but had corresponded and worked on an international project (the Battlecoat), with several other amazing felt artists, for last year’s FeltUnited project. We were together, all-told for almost two weeks (including the one week at camp where we roomed together and had some great late night talks). We had such a connection. It was so hard saying good-bye to these close friends, but I do hope that we’ll see one another again in the not-too-distant future. I treasure the time that we spent together and have been so blessed by your friendship.
Two things in closing, a poem that I found regarding friendship, dedicated to all of you, who I so value. This by Dinah Craik:
"Friendship"
Oh, the comfort —
the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person —
having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words,
but pouring them all right out,
just as they are,
chaff and grain together;
certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them,
keep what is worth keeping,
and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.
And, as I always enjoy tuning in to hear Elis’ music selections, thought I’d leave you with one today, too...For Good with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. I hope that you love it as much as I do…It’s from the heart and so true.
With a grateful heart.
Many blessings,
Dawn
