Our farm gives me a sense of peace and wonder that I seek to share through my work. My sheep inspire me as they graze and laze peacefully in their pasture, or show complete delight at being released into the yard to explore new things. To them a hummingbird feeder is an object of wonder and apple tree leaves are a guilty pleasure to be stolen when I’m not looking.
Both art and nature have been my loves since childhood and working with cloth and yarn were part of everyday life. After studying art and working with photography, I discovered the art of felting almost by accident. A desire to have sheep on our small farm near Monroe, WI, combined with the need to find a use for the wool, and a love of pottery evolved into “wool pottery”. Painting with acrylics and pastels turned into dying my own wool to create my palette. Through wet and needle felting, I coax soft fleece into sculptural and pictoral forms, then add elements of beads, silk, metal and paint to add nuance and spark. Now I can bring together the most energizing elements of other art experiences and play with them in a new way.
The soft sculptural vessels and images come from nature, and sense of whimsy and joy in the process. Through my art I want to share a sense of comfort, peace, joy and wonder.